By Mike Palm, Vermilion High School Science Teacher and Leo Club Advisor
Cookies and Crafts with Santa, an annual holiday tradition hosted by the Vermilion High School Leo Club, was held Thursday, Dec. 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Vermilion High School.
The event has been a holiday staple in the Vermilion community for more than 10 years, offering younger students and families an opportunity to interact with Leo Club members while making holiday crafts, decorating cookies and writing letters to Santa.
Each year, the event serves as Santa’s final stop before returning to the North Pole to prepare for Christmas Eve. The celebration typically draws around 150 attendees, making it a well-loved tradition within the community. One unique aspect of the event is that many of the high school students now organizing and running Cookies and Crafts with Santa once attended the event themselves as young children.
This year’s event was planned and organized by Leo Club President Reece Holland, Vice President Suzi Holmes and Secretary Brooke Whisenant, along with support from additional Leo Club members.
“Cookies and Crafts with Santa is an event I look forward to every year,” said Holland. “It’s always fun seeing the little kids getting their faces painted and watching their reactions when Santa comes out. I’m very fortunate to have a great group of students helping with the planning and setup. Cookies and Crafts with Santa will always be around, and I can’t wait to see what next year holds for the event.”
















