ANNA MARIA – The Chiles Group’s 26th Annual Lawton Chiles Christmas for Kids Party brought holiday joy to 60 youngsters, many of whom were making their first visit to Anna Maria Island.
The annual Christmas celebration took place in and around the Sandbar Restaurant’s outdoor pavilion on Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The children and parents invited to this year’s party are affiliated with RCMA Palmetto and Step Up Suncoast’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The children enjoyed two bounce houses that were set up on the beach, and some simply enjoyed playing in the beach sand. The festivities included face painting, craft making, photo ops with volunteers and staff members dressed as cartoon characters, Christmas music played by event DJ Chuck Caudill and a buffet lunch of chicken tenders, French fries, macaroni and cheese, salad, fruit and lemonade – and for the adults, the option of an additional vodka pasta dish also prepared by the Sandbar’s kitchen staff.
After lunch, Santa arrived in a red, 1930s-era Ford Model A replica car that has long belonged to the family of Island Photography’s Dara Caudill, who photographed the event for the Chiles Group.
The party concluded with the youngsters being called up one by one to receive a gift bag from Santa and his helpers. Containing a new clothing outfit, a pair of shoes and a toy to open on Christmas, each gift bag was tailored specifically for that child.
Donations from the community helped fund the annual children’s party that honors Sandbar owner Ed Chiles’ late father, Lawton Chiles, who served as Florida’s governor from 1991-98, and his late mother, Rhea Chiles.
Spreading holiday joy
As the party got underway, Ed Chiles said, “It’s the Christmas season. It’s a time of year when you want to reach out and help folks and appreciate your community. It’s a wonderful tradition for our staff members who volunteer their time, including shopping for and wrapping the presents. Thanks to every single one of the staff members and volunteers that helped make this happen. It’s always been about reaching out to the community and helping the kids. And personally, this always gets me in the Christmas spirit.”
Chile’s wife, Tina Chiles, said, “It’s a wonderful celebration this time of year with very special families we look forward to hosting. It helps us remember the true meaning of Christmas.”
Josie Gracia is an early childhood specialist with RCMA Palmetto – the Manatee County affiliate of the Redlands Christian Migrant Association formed in southwest Florida in 1965.
“We’ve been doing this for a couple years now. The children and staff all look forward to this. It’s like a dream come true for most of the children. We serve low-income families and they don’t have the means to experience all this. For some, this is the first time they get to see the beach. It’s like a mini-Disney here for them, and the food is amazing. And to top it all off, they get to see Santa,” Gracia said.
Serving low-income families and the children and families of migrant workers, the RCMA Palmetto child development center serves 68 children of various ages, some of whom attended Wednesday’s party.
“It’s very holistic. We include child support services, family support services, health services, vision, hearing and developmental screenings. We have high school curriculum in place. We provide transportation for the families that live in more remote areas. The parent support program is very strong. We do training for the parents, parenting classes, support groups. It’s very comprehensive,” Gracia said.
“Those who are migrants face the challenge of leaving every year and going up north to work for part of the year and then coming back. There’s always this transition, going back and forth, and it’s really hard traveling and leaving people behind. And for the parents, agricultural work is hard work, and we’ve been losing agricultural fields, so some of the families have to travel to remote areas to work and then come back every day. There’s also all the other risks involved with this kind of work. They’re exposed to chemicals and pesticides and they earn low wages. It’s not very pleasant, but they’re hard-working and they’re appreciative of the opportunity to work,” Gracia said.
“Due to COVID, it’s been harder to get volunteers. It’s nice to have people come and hold the babies, spend time with the children and read them stories. Donations are always welcome and they don’t have to be brand new items. Sometimes we get gently used items and toys. We have ladies from a community group that bring blankets that they make. There’s many different ways to support the programs.”
To assist RCMA, please call 941-723-4563.
Step Up Suncoast’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide early childhood education and family engagement services focused on closing the achievement gap for children throughout Manatee County.
“Step Up Suncoast provides Head Start and early Head Start programs for Manatee County –from 8 weeks old into kindergarten,” said Jill Gass, Step Up Suncoast’s director of philanthropy.
Regarding the party, Gass said, “It’s a wonderful event that brings a lot of smiles to the organization and families who have been struggling more than ever in the past couple years. We appreciate more than ever the support the Chiles Group provides to us every year. We’re excited that they’re able to bring it back.”
Last year’s party was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This gives the families the opportunities to come do something they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to do. We have a lot of kids that have never been to the beach. They just don’t come out here. It’s a nice opportunity to have fellowship with other friends and family engagement between the different families. The kids know each other, but the parents maybe don’t. It’s another opportunity of engagement for them,” Gass said.
