126215556_web1_nativity1_faa

Early Christmas Eve service unites worshippers ahead of rain

Leonard leaves bloodied, but Clippers beat Nuggets 121-108

LARKSVILLE &mdash; It is often said that Santa Claus appears in different forms.
				There is one Santa in Larksville is quite different than most variations of the Jolly Old Elf.
				This Santa is a 7-year-old Girl Scout Daisy who this year was determined to deliver donated toys to children in need of all ages.
				Her name is Lana Eiden, but as far as the recipients of her efforts are concerned, this year Lana is their Santa Claus.
				Lana&rsquo;s mom, Bessie O&rsquo;Brien, said this week Lana got to see where all the donated toys she collected went &mdash; to more than 400-plus area families.
				&ldquo;And she knows that there are going to be a lot of happy kids on Christmas day,&rdquo; her mom said. &ldquo;Lana also got to deliver them to some of the kids&rsquo; parents.&rdquo;
				Lana placed two large bins in the lobby of the Larksville Borough Municipal Building for donors to drop off the toys. After a first week of zero donations, the project turned around with many donations, making Lana very happy.
				O&rsquo;Brien said her daughter received names of families in need through Facebook and others were found through the Wilkes-Barre Church of Christ.
				Lana also found out that a family that had lost everything for Christmas and she asked if she could help them as well.
				&ldquo;Lana asked me if she could do this every year,&rdquo; her mom said. &ldquo;I said if that is what you want to do, then yes.&rdquo;
				So next year, Lana plans to be at it again, getting people to donate new toys for children in need.
				&ldquo;Lana has learned that due to COVID, there are a lot of people in need of help this year and she was happy to help,&rdquo; her mom said. &ldquo;I am so proud of her and so is her step dad, Chris Seigle.&rdquo;
				And they should be proud of Lana, who persevered after being disappointed early in the campaign When she visited the Larksville Municipal Building after just one week of seeking donations, Lana couldn&rsquo;t believe there weren&rsquo;t any toys in the two bins she placed in the lobby.
				A week later, her frown turned to a big smile.
				&ldquo;Woe! Look at all the toys,&rdquo; Lana exclaimed when she returned to the Municipal Building.
				&ldquo;Lana just wanted to make sure all kids in need of any age would get a gift for Christmas,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Brien said. &ldquo;She always hoped that everyone would have a Merry Christmas.&rdquo;
				Her mom said Lana is really grateful to all who donated toys for her new-found cause.
				When Lana came up with the idea to ask for toy donations for children in need, she said her mother told her she has a lot of toys, &ldquo;but there are a lot of children who don&rsquo;t have any.&rdquo;
				Lana said. &ldquo;So I got this great idea to help families get nice toys for their children so they have a Merry Christmas.&rdquo;
				Lana is in her second year of &ldquo;Daisy&rdquo; with the Girl Scouts Unit 331.
				&ldquo;In Girl Scouts, we learn how to help people out,&rdquo; Bessie said. &ldquo;This has been a difficult year. We wanted to do what we could to help.&rdquo;
				Bessie and Christopher have three children: Lana, 7; Alijah, 3 1/2; and Nevaeh, 2.
				On the Families Helping Families Out Organization Facebook page, it states:
				&rdquo;This group is for families in need of help with clothes and stuff for babies, like toys. We do this with donations from people. We are collecting kids clothes in any sizes and up. Also we will be collecting toys for kids of all ages, as will as baby items to help families that are in need.&rdquo;
				So this little Santa Claus did all she could to help,as many children that she could.
				At age 7, Lana has set quite an example for others to follow.
				Merry Christmas.

Larksville girl, 7, delivers toys to area families in need