MONTAGUE — Santa is bringing more than just presents to Turners Falls High School seniors.
The annual Santa breakfast fundraiser helped to raise money for the class of 2019 senior class trip. Co-class advisors, Jonathan Wood and Mike Johansmeyer, said this is the last year of the fundraiser for the class, which has been hosting it since 2014.
“The nice thing is that any of the funds that are left over go to the next class,” Wood said.
The breakfast served on Sunday featured pancakes, sausage and hash browns. The food was catered by Kathy Tomaus, who has catered the event for the past three years.
There were more than 70 raffle prizes, including children’s toys, movies, gloves and scarves and others. Children got the chance to write a letter to Santa and color at the tables. Throughout the morning, Santa was available to greet children and give them candy canes.
Students served the meals and parents helped to coordinate the raffles. The seniors said it was bittersweet for them to host their final breakfast fundraiser.
Bianca Martin said that while she’s relieved the fundraiser is over, she’s going to miss it.
“It’s a bit upsetting. I’m happy it’s the last one, but I’m not at the same time,” Martin said. “It’s stressful and a lot of work, but it’s worth it. The food is really good, the catering is good. Our parents do a lot to help us — we couldn’t do it without them.”
Will Turn said he enjoyed the fundraiser because it’s able to help students who want to attend their class trip, which is to Virginia this year, but might be tight on money.
“This event helps raise money to lower the cost per student to go on the class trip,” Turn said. “This year we get to plan our own class trip and make it our own, so we want everyone who wants to go to be able to.”
Sarah Waldron said it’s the best fundraiser of the year for the class, and “it’s really helpful to raise this much money at one event.”
She said, on average, the class raises about $1,000 from the Santa breakfast fundraiser annually.
Senior Class President Jack Putala said he’s had a great time going to the fundraiser over the course of his high school tenure.
“It’s a great event that brings our class together, and not only does it raise a lot of money for the class, it also has the largest class participation of all of the fundraisers,” Putala said. “It brings our parents together, too.”
Parents of the students wanted to thank volunteer Russ Brown, who has helped at the event throughout the years.
Senior Sam Bocon said the class always has fun and wanted the community to keep in mind the event will continue beyond them.
Bocon said. “We hope people keep supporting it after us, because it goes to the upcoming ninth-grade class to host until their senior year,” Bocon. said