Santa, Mrs. Claus, and more visit Post 158 kids Christmas party

By Brian Govang
Post 158 Historian

LISBON — The Lisbon American Legion Post 158 welcomed dozens of children to a Christmas party Dec. 15, where they were entertained by wild animals before meeting with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Michelle Foss spent two months buying and wrapping gifts for up to 60 children, and her husband, Jeff Foss, got his camera ready to record each child on Santa’s lap as a memento of the occasion.
The Legion had notified members for the past month to sign up their children for the party (and for individually selected presents). They had also made arrangements for entertainment to be there for the “early bird” children while they waited for Santa.
Josh Sparks entertained the children with animals, including a flying squirrel, a chinchilla, a hedgehog, a bearded badger, a fox, an owl, a ferret, a bat and a boa constrictor.
Lisbon Fire Engine 3 delivered Santa and Mrs. Claus. A fire fighter helped Santa (Glenn Simard) and Mrs. Clause (Dottie Levesque) out of the truck and onto the ground. That’s when Santa let out his signature Ho, Ho, Ho and the crowd of children yelled in unison, “Santa.”
They then made their way into the hall, where the children got to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him their Christmas wishes.