Tykes, tinsel and holiday tunes
Little Lodians bring cheer and good will to local businesses
About 50 little reindeer and Santas crammed into the F&M Bank lobby on Thursday morning in Lodi, belting out the tunes to “Deck the Halls,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
From behind the glass, the bank tellers smiled and applause erupted when the last notes rang out.
Back outside, the youthful spreaders of holiday joy came across a man and a woman, sitting in a parking lot. The children encircled them and gave them their very own short concert of Christmas classics.
The woman, Carla Foster, smiled from ear to ear as she listened.
“That was just beautiful!” Foster said of the surprise serenade. “That was awesome!”
Hollie Mueller, a first-grade teacher at the Heritage Elementary School, led the small carolers around local businesses on Cherokee Lane.
“We felt like this area can use any bit of happiness that it can have,” Mueller said. “It’s important for the children to understand that by giving to other people, they can make them happy.”
Their lesson in giving was promptly rewarded by the recipients. At Big Lots, customer Nancy McCorkell of Lodi was so touched by the performance that she bought the entire class candy canes. Over at Western Dental, the staff handed the children toothbrushes, which will come in handy after the carolers enjoy their candy.
The first-time carolers began their training in mid-November, and belted out five different Christmas carols with great passion and joy to over 12 local businesses and several passersby. Joining the class were about 10 to 15 proud parents that recorded their little carolers’ performances. Mueller said they also doubled as great crowd control as she safely guided the singers along the busy road.
The tradition is now in its third year, Mueller said.
“The highlight for me is when we find the homeless people and sing to them, it’s a big joy to me. Some start singing with us. That, to me, is just huge.”
Mueller said that the city’s Eastside needs to get some positive press.
”Lifting them up, and being noticed for doing good, is huge,” Mueller said.
Six-year-old caroler Sophia Castro donned a pair of green reindeer horns and a huge smile.
“It makes me very happy to do this!” she said. “And they gave us lollipops!”