Smiles abounded Wednesday afternoon when the man of the hour, Santa Claus, entered the North Bergen Nutritional Center. The long awaited appearance by the guy with the white beard and red hat couldn’t have come any sooner for the 400 special needs children from the township, who were attending the annual “Special Young People of North Bergen” Christmas party.
Each of the youngsters was treated to a gift, plus a chance to make some last-minute suggestions to Santa. “For many of these kids, this is all they have,” said Netta Meltzer, who has been organizing the event in the township for the last 17 years. “A lot of them truly need the gifts.”
But these children, ages 2 to 17, need more than Christmas presents.
“They need the kindness, the touching, the hugs, the love,” Meltzer said. “They truly are lovable and truly are special. You really can’t put an age on a special child.”
For Meltzer, the Christmas party is the culmination of a year-round labor of love. She rounds up donations from all parts of the community and holds a Chinese auction fundraiser in the spring to collect funds to have the party. Other organizations and businesses, like the North Bergen Police Activity League, Gold Coast Cleaners, the Elks of Ridgefield Park, and township officials, chip in and lend a helping hand.
“A lot of people come out and try to help us out,” Meltzer said. “I left cans in the stores for people to donate. They all really came together.”
The Toys for Tots organization also donated toys to present to the youngsters.
The event featured a disc jockey who played both Christmas and contemporary music. A clown was on hand to entertain the youngsters. The children were treated to pizza and soda and popcorn and candy were placed on every table.
When it came time to sing Christmas carols, the youngsters who got up to sing with Santa also received a special prize.
Meltzer credited the support of Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners, who also made an appearance at the party.
“It would be hard to pull off something like this without their support,” Meltzer said. “As a matter of fact, we get a lot of support from a lot of people.”
Meltzer added, “It’s very rewarding when you see a kid’s face light up when he receives a gift, when you see them happy, dancing, having a good time – it really makes you feel good. The kids really enjoy themselves, so it makes all the hard work worthwhile. These kids really have a beautiful way of life.”
Meltzer then had to excuse herself. There was more work to be done. She’s coordinating another Christmas party this Wednesday for the Special Young Adults of North Bergen.
“I have to do it all again next week,” Meltzer said. “It never ends. But it’s really a great feeling.”