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Community Corner

Irish American Society Holds Annual Christmas Party

About 150 Society members and 60 children receive an early visit from Santa.

The held their annual Christmas party Sunday afternoon at the Willis Avenue Irish American Center.

The gala event was held for the children and grandchildren of the members of the Society and their families. About 150 members, guests, and 60 children of all ages took part in the holiday festivities. The reveling began at 2 p.m. with food and refreshments donated by members. The children enjoyed music and entertainment provided by Clown on Time Productions while eagerly anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus, who had presents for all the children in attendance.  The youngsters sat around Santa as they received their gifts, which were bought by the members of the Society.

Brendan Kerins, a board member and former President of the Society, said that as far as he could remember, the children's Christmas party has been a proud and happy tradition for the members. The Society recently celebrated their 77th year, with over 1,000 members from Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and the Bronx.

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Board member Frank Collins, an active member of the Society for the past 17 years, knows what it means to get the Christmas party ready. "We got here at 11:30 a.m. to set up," he said. Collins also chairs the Christmas party committee along with other members of his family, who hail from Seaford.

Fran, matriarch of the Collins clan, ran the raffle, with help from son Sean, while Caileen and Christie helped with the refreshments in the kitchen. Caileen is also responsible for buying both the gifts that Santa gives out and the raffle prizes for the children. She orders the gifts from T & L Distributors, a company specializing in children's toys. The raffle prizes were displayed prominently in the hall. Throughout the party, groups of kids would congregate around the prizes and decide amongst themselves which toys they hoped to receive.

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Presents included two activities baskets, a play tea kettle set, a Sponge Bob Squarepants hangman's game, a thunder tumbler, and two big gifts: a pair of Avigo bicycles, one for a boy and one for a girl.

A Society member for the past 30 years, Betty McLoughlin currently serves as the organization's President. "We are instrumental in running many charities and benefits and offer classes in traditional Irish step-dancing and bagpipe music," McLoughlin said, adding that she is pleased to continue the works of her predecessors in teaching the culture and heritage of Ireland, especially for the children.

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