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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Girl Scouts from Troop 88090 rolled and cut out their cookie dough into shapes to bake during the Cookies with Santa event on Dec. 21 at Boardman Park.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Children rolled out their cookie dough to bake and decoration during the Cookies with Santa event at Boardman Park on Dec. 21.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Jack wrote letters to Santa Claus during the Cookies with Santa event on Dec. 21 at Boardman Park.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Elizabeth Rutana decorated her to-go cookie box with Stacy Rutana during the Cookies with Santa event at Boardman Park on Dec. 21.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Jason and Maddi decorate their freshly baked cookies with frosting, sprinkles and candy during the Cookies with Sanda event on Dec. 21 at Boardman Park.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Children decorated cookies to set out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve during the Cookies with Santa event at Boardman Park on Dec. 21.
The sold out event brought in more than 40 children and close to 100 guests total. Children spent the event rolling out cookie dough, cutting it into shapes, baking the cookies and then using frosting and sprinkles to decorate them.
“It’s a great opportunity for families to come and have their tradition of making cut out cookies, decorating them, all that fun and leaving us the mess,” said recreation director Karen McCallum.
After the children rolled out the dough and cut them into shapes, the staff and volunteers at Boardman Park would bake the cookies. While the cookies were baking the children could write a letter to Santa and decorate a to-go box for the cookies. In the adjoining room, there were green waffles being made for guests to eat while watching “The Grinch.”
Some of the children have been coming for years, while others this was their first year.
“I’ve never been here before, I’m looking forward to eating the cookies,” said fifth-grader Shaelen Williams.
When the cookies finished baking, the children would go to a table and use different colored frosting and sprinkles to decorate the cookies. Some of the children said they were going to eat their cookies while others said they were going to set them out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
Cookies with Santa is a tradition at Boardman Park, allowing families to start their own traditions and spend time together.