Kiski Area High School's Breakfast with Santa expected to attract 300 people

Sarah Gracey, an advisor and business teacher at Kiski Area High School, thinks there are several reasons why the school’s sixth annual Breakfast with Santa resonates with the community.

“It’s like a wholesome, family event,” she said. “It’s for the community, by the community.”

Breakfast with Santa will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the high school. The event, which functions as a fundraiser for the freshman and sophomore classes, welcomes children of all ages for crafts, games, breakfast and free photos with Santa Claus. Tickets are $12 for children ages 2-9 and $5 for adults 10 and above. Children under 2 are admitted for free.

Children can move through different stations around the school as they please, with activities including face painting, letters to Santa, a balloon artist, a scavenger hunt and more.

“Every kid is going to find something that they like to do,” Gracey said.

Around 50 high school students — many in organizations like Key Club and the National Honor Society — will be volunteering at the event, along with around 15 chorus students, traveling the halls as carolers. The money raised will go toward the freshman/sophomore spring formal dance and other needs of the school.

Breakfast with Santa has been growing in size every year, Gracey said. This year, the school is expecting around 100 children to attend, and 300 people total. Dan Smith, assistant principal of Kiski Area Upper Elementary School, started the event when he was teaching social studies at the high school and advising for the dance.

To Smith, the event is an opportunity for the school to serve the community in broader ways beyond education and to teach high school students to give back.

“The school district is more than just educating students,” he said. “It’s also an embodiment of the community.”

Gracey has planned the event for the past four years. She said it has become a holiday tradition for some families, including her.

“I don’t have kids yet, but it’s like the highlight of my Christmas,” she said.