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Families turn out in droves for Santa in the Park event in South Wilkes-Barre

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Results of conservation work becoming noticeable at Luzerne County Courthouse

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The downtown holiday Pop-Up Shops celebrated their last day in business by inviting a special guest.</p><p>Santa Claus himself made an appearance Saturday afternoon to raise money for Christmas gifts for children. Shoppers could get a photo with Mr. Claus for a $5 donation to Valley Santa, a local non-profit that collects toys for needy children.</p><p>The Diamond City Partnership teamed with Valley Santa for the first time this year to help organize the event and collect donations. &#8220;We want to give back to the community, especially for the holidays,&#8221;said Cassie Fiume, program and marketing coordinator for the Diamond City group.</p><p>John Maday, president of the Wilkes-Barre Business Association and a board member for Valley Santa, has played Santa at many community events since he was a freshman at King&#8217;s College. He gets into character via multiple sources, including movies that depict Santa Claus, what he&#8217;s read about St. Nick and also by thinking about &#8220;what kids are expecting.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;You have to engage with them. You have to be jovial,&#8221; he said, referring to the children. &#8220;You have to kid around with them. You have to basically be something that they&#8217;re gonna take a memory away from.&#8221;</p><p>Maday has also become accustomed to wearing the cumbersome suit.</p><p>&#8220;I have to have a lot of padding, because I&#8217;m a runner. This is not me at all,&#8221; he said with a laugh, pointing to his stomach. &#8220;There&#8217;s a pillow in here and there&#8217;s some other padding in here.&#8221;</p><p>Valley Santa&#8217;s 400 volunteers start shopping and purchasing toys from Boscov&#8217;s in early November. Social service agencies pass requests from their clients for toys to Valley Santa and the organization also receives requests from families themselves in the form of letters. An estimated 4,000 gifts are then wrapped at Boscov&#8217;s and then delivered for Christmas Day to families all around the county. &#8220;This is a prime example of a community effort,&#8221; Maday said, emphasizing how much coordination the whole process takes.</p><p>He has delivered gifts on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day himself and actually had the opportunity to see the joy on children&#8217;s faces when they receive their gifts. &#8220;That&#8217;s a fantastic feeling.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bob Scocozzo of Mia Bella Candles, right, chats with Santa outside the Pop-Up Shops on Saturday at the Midtown Village on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_TTL121717PopUpShops_4-.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bob Scocozzo of Mia Bella Candles, right, chats with Santa outside the Pop-Up Shops on Saturday at the Midtown Village on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_TTL121717PopUpShops_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Patrice Persico, of Shavertown, takes a selfie with Santa on Saturday during the final day of business for the Pop-Up Shops in Midtown Village in downtown Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_TTL121717PopUpShops_1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Patrice Persico, of Shavertown, takes a selfie with Santa on Saturday during the final day of business for the Pop-Up Shops in Midtown Village in downtown Wilkes-Barre. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Kulsoom Khan</p><p>kkhan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Special appearance by Santa raises money for needy kids