Santa and Mrs. Claus brought gifts and holiday joy to more than 1,500 neighborhood kids last Saturday at the Annual Ninth Police Precinct Community Council Christmas Party for the Children of the Lower East Side. Children of all ages waited in line — some for more than two hours — for Santa’s arrival at the precinct’s temporary location in the housing police stationhouse on Avenue C. Finally, at 9 a.m., Old St. Nick and wife arrived, not by sleigh, but in a police van with flashing lights. The youths were also treated to a high-stepping show by the 19-member New York University Purple and White Dance Squad, below, and Christmas music by the Universal Beat band.
This page, above, the Tapia children from E. Sixth St. wait to meet Santa. Opposite page, bottom left, E. 12th St. triplets, from left, KK, KD and KJ, 5, were all smiles as they got ready to tell Santa their Christmas wishes. Santa and Mrs. Claus were, in fact, a Ninth Precinct auxiliary officer and police officer, respectively. Stilt walker Dan McCarragan also delighted the children.
