Santa makes morning visit to Fort Belvoir

Sosa Community Center hosted the man of the season on Sunday as Santa Claus paid a visit to the installation and had breakfast with hundreds of children and their families.

“Ho, ho, ho,” said Santa as he bent down to speak to a little girl in a red velvet dress.

“Hello, precious, how are you?”

The little girl then bent close to Santa’s ear to whisper her Christmas wishes to him.

“I’m making a list, checking it twice,” said Santa in an exclusive interview with the Belvoir Eagle. “So far, all my children are on the good list.”

A festive Christmas tree on the community center’s stage served as a backdrop as Santa went on to pose for photographs with countless children.

“They also have picture frames they can decorate,” said USO Outreach Manager Dawn Ruth, who said that a scheduling conflict prevented Toons on Tour from the Cartoon Network from attending the event. But that did not stop the Cartoon Network from donating dozens of toys to the event.

“They felt really bad,” she said. “That’s why they gave us the toys, even though they couldn’t make it.”

Each child also received a Disney goody bag that included a DVD.

Five-year-old Chantal Pike and her friend Taegan Chirinous, 5, worked hard to put their Christmas wishes in writing in letters to Santa at the event, sponsored by the USO of Metropolitan Washington.

“I’d like you to bring me a computer disc princess,” Pike wrote.

Asked what was her favorite part of the upcoming holiday, Chirinous smiled broadly and answered, “It’s great. I get to make snowmen.”

Alyssa Persina, 6, made a wish for her dad, Spec. Anthony Persina of the Prime Power School.

“My daddy wants the Giants to win the Super Bowl,” she said, adding that her favorite football team is the Washington Redskins.

Prizes were raffled off during the event and the Persinas took home a new bicycle. “Can you believe this?” asked Spec. Perisna as he wheeled the bicycle out of the building.

Santa also lauded the contributions that Fort Belvoir’s Soldiers and their families are making around the world.

“They’re all military and dedicated to the purpose of peace on earth,” the Jolly Old Elf said. “Santa is very happy to see them all.”

Girl Scouts from Troop 4420 in Dale City and other community volunteers served up more than 400 pancakes to hungry attendees during the two and a half hour event.