Kids in Boardman concoct sugar cookies, Grinch waffles

The event Monday night was a service project for Prevent and Neutralize Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

BOARDMAN — If you recently spoke with Heather and Haley Barker about the holidays, it might prove difficult to discern which “S” word elicits the most excitement: Santa Claus, snow or skating.

For Heather, 11, and her 9-year-old sister, the last two hold their luster longer because the girls live near Corpus Christi, Texas, and have seen snow on only one other occasion.

That’s not to say, however, that Santa Claus failed to deliver positive feelings.

In fact, Santa was the main attraction for the siblings, as well as several dozen other children who took part in Monday’s sixth annual Cookies for Santa event in Boardman Township Park’s Lariccia Community Center.

“I plan to go sled riding and ice skating,” Heather said, as she finished a blue egg-shaped Christmas tree ornament.

Haley said she intends to follow her sister’s itinerary before the girls return home Jan. 2 from visiting their grandparents. The one addition for Haley will be snow boarding, she said.

Accompanying Haley and Heather was their grandfather John Jamieson, a Boardman park commissioner.

The two-hour gathering gave youngsters and their families an opportunity to do crafts as well as cut out and decorate holiday cookies and ice-cream sandwiches. Also on the menu of activities was preparing green Grinch-style waffles.

One of those busily trying to mix creativity with sugar cookie dough was 7-year-old Matthew Johnson of Boardman, who came with his mother, Cathy.

“For Christmas, I want to go sled riding, that’s one thing,” said Matthew, a Market Street Elementary School second-grader, as he diligently tested his skills with a rolling pin to flatten the dough.

Matthew’s holiday agenda includes engaging in a fun snowball fight and, if there’s enough snow, building an igloo.

“He loves anything to do with baking and art,” his mother said, adding that Matthew’s grandmother taught him to bake.

Cathy Johnson praised the event, saying that in addition to bringing people together in the holiday spirit, it gives children a chance to see one another in a larger social context than school.

In addition, the family event gave participants a chance to come together to enjoy many festivities associated with the holidays, noted Karen McCallum, the park’s recreation director.

“It [also] was a nice evening for families to get their hands messy and gooey with the cookies, sprinkles and all that fun stuff,” McCallum added with laughter.

Assisting with the program were more than a dozen volunteers, most of whom are high school students and members of the local chapter of Prevent and Neutralize Drug and Alcohol Abuse, or PANDA.

The event acted as a community service project for the teens, noted Beth Bonish, coordinator of the Mahoning County PANDA chapter.

PANDA’s main aims are to get young people more involved in giving back to their communities, helping them make healthy life choices, and instilling in them leadership qualities while in school and the community, Bonish explained.

Also preparing the waffles, assisting with cleanup duties, supervising the activities and helping the children write letters to Santa were six members of Canfield High School’s Junior Leaders organization.