Santa makes a special delivery through the Porterville Breakfast Rotary
By Terren Brown AG Territory 7

Since 2005, children of Porterville and the surrounding areas have been able to call in and to speak to Santa, Santa’s elves, or even Mrs. Claus, courtesy of the Porterville Breakfast Rotary Club, at no cost to the caller one evening in December.  The phones and call in number is provided to the club for free by Rotarian John Billiou, owner of Billiou’s, Inc. a factory authorized central warehouse distributor.  This year, over 400 children called in to speak to Santa who is bilingual in several languages.

The phones are manned by the Porterville Breakfast Rotarians who diligently write down every child who calls in their name and what each child is hoping to receive from Santa. 

The calls help mom and dad find out what their children really want for Christmas, and it also gives PBR an opportunity to identify families in special need of, but not limited to, food and clothing.  In many instances, a child will ask Santa for a coat for their brother or sister, shoes for their parents or food so that they can have something to eat.  The club member on the phone will then find out during their conversation where the child goes to school and what grade they are in.

The following day a club member will contact the schools and verifies the information with school officials that was told to Santa.  Once the information is verified, the club then makes arrangements to deliver shoes, clothes, toys, and food to the families courtesy of Santa.

Every year, we get at least one request that gives us really true joy when we are able to grant the child’s wish.  This year was no exception.  On Monday, December 13, 2011,  Janice Castle, the Santa Call In chairperson, was contacted by Eva Leon, a Porterville Resident, as a result of seeing the announcement in the Porterville Recorder saying that Santa was going to be accepting phone calls from the area’s children. 

Ms. Leon told Janice that her daughter, Stephanie Medina, a Private First Class with the Army National Guard, was coming home after being deployed since April 2011.   Ms. Leon said that Stephanie’s son, Angel who is three years old, and Stephanie’s youngest brother, Emelio, six years old, and sister, Honey, four years old, had said the only thing they wanted for Christmas was for Stephanie to be home.  Ms. Leon asked where a Santa could be located so the children could express their wishes and Stephanie could “magically” appear.

Thinking quickly, Janice put the club in action.  A Santa suit was purchased, Billiou’s provided a large box for Stephanie to pop out from, and a Santa beard and hair was borrowed from Don Wheeler.

On Tuesday morning, Santa was at the Bank of the Sierra in Porterville, waiting for Angel, Honey and Emelio.  Each child sat on Santa’s lap telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas,  After hearing each child’s wish, Santa told them to say magic words of “Santa Claus, Merry Christmas” twice.  Upon saying the magic words, Stephanie appeared.  Needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the building and why the club loves being Santa’s helpers.