Chamber Creates Christmas Towne
By Lenore McKenzie-Morris
Four-year-old Emerson Charley wasn't quite ready to sit on Santa's lap. She sat on her mom's instead and quietly talked to Santa and his wife on the photo stage at the convention center while visiting Christmas Towne on Sunday, Dec. 13.
"That's her third Santa," said her father Charles. "They've been to three Santas this weekend and that's the best one. She's already asked me if Santa's real. I guess I'm going to have to tell her these are Santa's helpers."
The Charley family, including mother Allison and brother Taylor, age 2, were making a stop at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce's event to get a free photo of their children with Santa and to take advantage of the other activities offered.
The event had attracted hundreds in its first hours and was expected to easily top the 800 people who attended the prior year.
"We've come one other time," said Annette Tomko of Myrtle Beach as she watched 6-year-old Tyler bounce around inside an inflated house. "We had such an amazing time we decided to come back today."
Tyler, who arrived early with his mom to the 6-hour event, bounced up against an inflated wall and fell over, grinning. "He's having a blast," Annette said. "He wants to have his Santa photo taken last."
Tomko had a lot of things to do before visiting Santa and the Mrs. at this event. In addition to the bounce houses, the Chamber had arranged for animatronic animals for the kids to ride, a half dozen remote controlled monster trucks to direct and a full-size basketball court to be set up in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
In the corridor outside, members of the Socastee Singers harmonized in a last-minute rehearsal wearing dresses and vests of glittering gold.
Inside, dancers from the Myrtle Beach area prepared to take the stage.
Nebraska native Sara McCormick and her co-director Brandy Miller waited with seven of their students from The Dance Experience to take the stage. "It's their last performance of the year," McCormick said. "Five of our girls will be performing solos and one will dance."
"We are happy to offer it for free and to have it inside," said Amie Lee, director of festivals and special events for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's a great, feel-family, feel-good event and we partnered with Toys for Tots this year so families could bring their donation here."
The donation box at Toys for Tots only had three gifts in it, however. Organizer Marsh Myers said the group plans to serve 1,000 children this year with toys, blankets and sleeping bags. "It's been slower recently but we have had quite a few calls this year to come and get stuff out of the box."
At a nearby booth sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care, Cameron Tovar carefully placed stickers onto a card, but only after long consideration of which sticker to select and where it should be placed.
"She tries to be perfect," said Edwin Tovar, father of the 6-year-old. "But she loves jumping and all this other stuff too. And we didn't have to pay anything. This is awesome."
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