Have breakfast with Santa, support Cheer Fund

A local community service organization is hosting a breakfast with Santa this weekend and plans to give some of the proceeds to the Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund.

“Anything we can do to help the community, that’s what we try to do,” said Steve Patterson, an Elks Lodge member.

The Elks will host the breakfast with Santa on Saturday beginning at 8:30 a.m. Pancakes, sausage and eggs will be served. Santa shows up at 9:15 a.m. the cost is $10 for adults and free for the first two children per family, plus $5 for each additional child.

This is the first year the lodge has done a breakfast with Santa fundraiser, Patterson said.

“We were talking about what we can do to raise a little money,” he said. “We decided to go ahead and do it. We had easy access to a Santa Claus, and a lot of the members have kids.”

Patterson’s brother, J.C. Patterson, will play Santa Claus.

“We’re trying to help some folks out who may not be able to get to the mall,” Patterson said. “They can come eat breakfast and see Santa and knock out two birds with one stone.

Patterson said he hopes the event can become an annual fundraiser for the lodge.

“I’d like to see it get bigger and bigger,” he said. “If nothing else, we can do it three Saturdays in a row.”

Proceeds from the event will be given to the Cheer Fund as well as other local charities.

For more information on the event, call Patterson at 630-2979.

The Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund collects money from area individuals, clubs and businesses every year and uses it to purchase the toys for Suffolk Toys for Tots.

To donate directly to the Cheer Fund, send checks made payable to Cheer Fund to P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 or bring them to the office at 130 S. Saratoga St.