Volunteers pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus before the start of Hartselle Kids Day. | Clif Knight

Hartselle’s annual Kids Day program, sponsored by John F. Thompson American Legion post 52, brought smiles to the faces of an estimated 350 students from Eva, Sparkman, Danville-Neel and Falkville Elementary schools Friday morning.

Each child visited with Santa and Mrs. Claus and received an age-appropriate wrapped gift and a bag of fresh fruit and candy before returning to their school.

More than a dozen volunteers joined Santa in the Sparkman Civic Center Auditorium to assist in the distribution of gifts. They included Bob Train, Ramona Mauser, Georganne Francis, Maelina Jordan, Barbara Young, Jean Leshur, Jerry Cleek, Nancy Train, Gayne Jones, J. B. Lawrence, Don Collum and Beverly Train.

“The kids are excited every year about coming,” said Danville-Neel counselor Rona Blevins. “For some, it’s the only Christmas outing they’ll attend. And for some, the gift they receive today will be part of what they’ll find under the tree Christmas morning. We put their names on the gifts, bag them and send them home with them after school.”

“It’s well worth the effort and expense we go to,” said post commander Bob Train. “Just to watch them waiting to get their gift and seeing the smiles on their faces when they leave gives me a good feeling.”

Train said money from the post’s bingo proceeds and cash contributions finance the project.

“A Huntsville business owner gave me $300 for the project the other day after I told her what we were doing,” he said.