The Town of Normal, Uptown Partners, and the NAACP are proud to announce a new partnership this holiday season. Each year, thousands of kids and families come to Santa's Station in Uptown Normal for a chance to meet the big man himself! Visits to Santa's Station are free, but donations are accepted with proceeds benefiting local charities including Special Olympics.
Program coordinators noticed during the first several years of operation that the accessible location and low cost drew an extraordinarily diverse patronage.
"In operating Santa's Station for the past few years, we've seen all sorts of kids and families come out that we might not typically see at some of our events," says Uptown Manager Joe Tulley.
At the same time, The McLean County Museum of History honored Merlin Kennedy as a 2015 History Maker. Mr. Kennedy was at the center of a strong debate that raged in Bloomington Normal surrounding the racial identity of our favorite holiday icon, Santa Claus. In the late sixties, the NAACP attempted to enter a float featuring a black Santa Claus in the annual Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade and was barred from participating, prompting debate and protest from both sides of the issue.
The diverse nature of the Santa Station audience, combined with an awareness of community members' struggle to participate in holiday traditions, inspired the new partnership. On Saturday, December 12, from 12 to 4 p.m., and Friday, December 18, from 4 to 8 p.m., the NAACP will host Santa's Station featuring a diverse cast of volunteers in key roles. The goal of the partnership is to create a fun experience while enhancing the effort to be more inclusive in our shared traditions.
"I am honored to be a part of such an inaugural event because this is truly history in the making," says Takesha Stokes, B-N NAACP 1st Vice President. "There is still much work to be done in the area of diversity and inclusion; however, this will move forward our efforts of breaking barriers and working to change the norm in Normal-Bloomington."
Santa's Station is open throughout the month of December, visit UptownNormal.com for Santa's Station hours and details.