by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Hundreds of children’s faces lit up like it was Christmas morning when they saw Santa Claus riding on the hood of a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police car.
On Wednesday, 203 children participated in the Fraternal Order of Police Special Children’s Party at the fairgrounds. The children, who are visually, hearing or orthopedic impaired, were from seven Duval County public schools.
The party has been an annual event since 1948 and is something the children and police officers look forward to each year.
As children arrived they were escorted to a table where they colored Christmas pictures and listened to holiday music. When everyone was seated, a traditional Christmas dinner was served. Officers colored pictures with the children, who were even allowed to sit on the officers’ motorcycles.
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived later and the children hurried to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Each child’s name was called to sit on Santa’s lap to receive a gift.
“All of the officers look forward to this and the kids love it,” said Vic Groner, the chairman of the event. “We are the fourth family that has the responsibility (of holding the event); it is tradition.”