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Community Corner

Nassau Family Court Children's Center Holds Annual Christmas Party

Santa pays a visit to Family Court children, bringing gifts and joy.

Some lucky children received an early visit this year from Santa Claus who made a surprise Christmas appearance at the Nassau County Family Court Children's Center on Friday, bringing with him a bundle full of presents.

Jolly Old St. Nick – otherwise known as Tom Speziale – is a court attorney-referee and former court attorney who 2 years ago decided to don the Santa suit in order to make a better holiday season for some of Nassau County's kids, some of whom are currently going through the Family Court system.

Inside the Children's Center the children have a safe haven in which to play and learn in a happy environment while their parents and/or guardians attend court. The center is one of 34 within New York's Unified Court System.

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Speziale and his "helper" Geralyn Calvelli, a resource coordinator for the juvenile treatment court who has been happily helping out with holiday party for the last 3 years, handed out gifts to the youngsters at the Center.

"I was working here and they needed a Santa, so I volunteered and I asked Geralyn to be my elf and she happily accepted," Speziale said, adding that the kids and the parents love it.

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About 14 children and their parents came to the party to receive gifts from Santa Speziale.  The children received wrapped presents while the parents received gift cards, courtesy of the . The toys were all donated by the John Theissen Children's Foundation, an operating non-profit organization since 1992.

Children's Center supervisor Beatrice Monsanto has been organizing the event since its inception in 2007. She said that the parents are very grateful for the generosity shown by the Theissen Foundation and the Bar Association while the children are especially excited to see Santa, who has them sit on his lap as he passes out the toys.

"To see a smile on a kids face, who wouldn't love that?" Speziale said.

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