By DONNA CAMPBELL/Community Columnist

The Pelham Public Library will host its annual Brunch With Santa Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. The free event brings children from the Pelham community and surrounding areas to the library on Pelham Parkway to meet Santa Claus, share what they want for Christmas and have a photo taken to remember the moment.

“There’s something special about the twinkle in a small child’s eye when Santa is nearby,” said Mary Campbell, youth services coordinator with the Pelham Public Library. “Between 80 and 100 children attend the event each year.”

The brunch takes place in the program room located downstairs in the library. Parking is available in the front and rear of the building. Brunch includes donuts and milk, and while the children wait their turn to visit Santa, they’ll have a craft to keep them entertained.

“We hand out numbers to the children as they arrive at the library so they’ll know when it’s their turn to meet the big guy,” said Campbell. “We organize the children into groups of 10 to stand in line.”

Santa gladly has his photo taken with each child. Some families have a group photo taken with Santa.

“We email the picture to the parents,” Campbell said, “and for those that don’t have an email address, we print out the photo and provide it to them before they leave the library.”

There’s always something fun happening at the Pelham Public Library. If you have questions about this event, call (205) 620-6418, or go online to Pelhamlibrary.com for a calendar of events.