KNIGHTLINE - Saint Mary's Catholic High School

Smiles of Christmas – Experiencing the Joy of Christmas By Bringing Joy to Others
On December 3, over 200 elementary age school children from Saint Agnes and Children’s First Academy (the Nation’s
largest school for homeless children) joined over 200 students from Saint Mary’s and 100 visiting high school students from Seton
Catholic Prep, Basha, Mesquite and Cesar Chavez for the Ninth Annual Smiles of Christmas Event.
The children ranging from pre-school through fourth grade were welcomed in the Bool Gymnasium to be paired up with their
teenage “buddy” who they would be spending their day with at the park. One kindergartener from the Children’s First Academy
nervously whispered, “I definitely hope I get a boy.”
The teams of buddies enjoyed a fun-filled, warm afternoon in Monterey Park with jump houses, freeze dance, bead making
crafts, cookie decorating, face painting, story time, songs, coloring, and most importantly, a visit with Santa. Two Saint Mary’s
Juniors, Marisa Lomeli and Bridget Nunez-Whitman, dressed festively as Santa’s helpers, happily gave each child their “gift” from
Santa - a story book to cherish always as a keepsake of their special day. Quietly, the older teens emphasized the importance of
reading and learning to their younger partners, which was the theme throughout the day.
Smiles of Christmas is the largest student–led mentor charity event in the Southwest. A graduate of Saint Mary’s, Mr. Tom
Medrano, founded the event and has been involved since its inception. When asked about the joy of seeing his vision in action year
after year, Mr. Medrano reported, “It’s all about the students. They do everything.”
Saint Mary’s senior Jacob Ramirez and junior Chris Chavez were the chair and co-chair of the event this year. Both were
interviewed by Chanel 12 and featured on the 5:00 pm News with a story about teenage volunteerism. Lin Sue Cooney announced
Saint Mary’s as the “Hero of the Day!” Jacob, Chris and the rest of Student Council have been busy fundraising all year at various
events to raise enough money to purchase gifts, giveaways and supplies for all the activities. Luckily, they received several donations
from generous members of the Saint Mary’s community to help offset some of the cost of the event.
Each child left with the gift of a sweatshirt bearing the high school logo of their buddy, provided by Saint Mary’s, Seton
Catholic Prep, Basha, Mesquite and Cesar Chavez. Saint Mary’s students who participated took away an important lesson about the
true meaning of Christmas, giving to others. Smiles of Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to witness the Saint Mary’s spirit of
“community” and “family” in action.
The Saint Mary’s parent boosters helped cook hotdogs for several hundred school children, students and volunteers. Over
200 Saint Mary’s students participated by working the games and activities, serving as buddies, helping serve food, decorate, and
clean up. The whole community came together once again to do their part to make the event successful. Dr. Susan Rockwell, the
student council moderator, deserves special recognition for her tireless efforts to help students be successful in all their endeavors.
Greeting some of our guests from Saint Agnes
Arrival of some guests from Children’s First Academy