The sixth annual Holiday Gift Store for Kids and Photos with Santa event is coming up Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Student Center in Alva. Members of the NWOSU Art Society (NAS) sponsor this annual event.
“We’re looking forward to seeing children from Alva and the surrounding communities taking part in the fun again this year,” said Angelia Case, sponsor of NAS.
Case said that the Holiday Store provides children an inexpensive and fun way to shop for loved ones, friends, teachers and even pets. Prices on a variety of merchandise usually range from 50 cents to less than $20.
Case said the Holiday Store allows the children to experience the thrill of “secretly” buying gifts, as well as benefiting from the practical lessons of budgeting, handling money and making decisions, but most of all, the pride and joy of gift-giving.
“We welcome parents and family members to accompany their children through the store if they so choose, but if your child wants to keep your present a surprise, we’ll have club members available to help them stay within their budget,” Case said. “Our club members and volunteers also will help get the gift items bagged and ready for giving during the holidays.
“We only allow a few children to go through the store at one time to make it a positive experience for everyone,” Case said. “So, if you’re waiting to come into the store, take advantage of a visit with Santa Claus, who will be right next door ready to visit and take photos with kids of all ages.”
Several photos will be taken during visits with Santa and then downloaded to a laptop computer for immediate viewing, Case said. Photos can be selected, and for a flat fee of $5 for each photo, the purchaser will receive the original digital negative file(s) saved to their personal jump drive or sent to them via email.
“We are planning to have more than one Santa Photo viewing station this year to help speed up the photo-selection process,” Case said.
For more information contact Case at (580) 327-8577 or arcase@nwosu.edu.