TOPPENISH -- The excitement was audible, and the big surprise for Garfield Elementary students hadn't even happened yet.
Kids were having a blast at a Friday morning school assembly as school librarian Janie Godina led them in some fun dance moves in the gym. They got to wear pajamas to school, too. So did their teachers and school staff. And Santa was there, along with a bunch of special guests.
"We have a little present," Godina said to a new wave of cheers. She introduced Betty Zuniga, who told students about the big surprise -- the special project called Blue Santa. On this last day before Christmas break, every student received a wrapped toy.
"We got all these presents for you guys!" Zuniga said. "But first, I want you to turn around and look at your teacher and tell them, 'thank you,'" and the cheers became a collective shout. "THANK YOU!"
Teachers, and Santa, and school staff and the special guests -- including Toppenish School Superintendent Toron Wooldridge -- started handing out gifts, grouped for each class and marked "g" or "b" for girl or boy.
"I hope you guys have a great break. ... Make sure you hold on to your gift. Because we are a school family, we are going to open them all together at the same time," Zuniga said before thanking her Blue Santa committee and the Toppenish businesses and residents who made it happen.
"Let's do this. One, two, three, open your gifts!"
How it came together
Among those watching was Sgt. Ryan Castaneda of the Toppenish Police Department. Castaneda grew up in Toppenish, graduating from Toppenish High in 2006. He was a member of Zuniga's Blue Santa committee along with Salvador Osorio, Artemio Gutierrez and Jose Zuniga, who isn't related to Betty.
Betty Zuniga taught in the Toppenish School District for 10 years before her current role for Educational Service District 105 as a family advocate at Garfield. Like Castaneda, she and the other Blue Santa committee members grew up in Toppenish.
This was the first time for Blue Santa at Garfield, and it came together fairly quickly, Castaneda said. It will be bigger next year, he added.
"It's nice to give back to the community," Castaneda said. "I'm happy to be part of this. It's super cool."
Blue Santa began in Texas in 1972, when two patrol officers with the Austin Police Department realized that 20 families on their beat wouldn't have gifts or food for their children at Christmas. Its website says the Blue Santa program there will serve more than 5,000 families this year, including more than 13,000 children.
The Blue Santa program has spread to police departments throughout and outside Texas.
Wooldridge came to Toppenish from Texas, and he mentioned the program to Betty Zuniga after seeing the rousing success of her Happy Meals Boo Buckets giveaway on Oct. 14. She contacted Castaneda that day.
The Toppenish Police Department, community members and Paul Kuneki also helped make Blue Santa happen. Kuneki is a Yakama Nation citizen who shares traditional foods on the Yakama Reservation.
Parents were notified the day before to ensure that as many children as possible would be there Friday to receive a gift, Zuniga said.
Group effort
Work on the Blue Santa program at Garfield intensified in the last several weeks. Committee members divided duties up with some reaching out to businesses for sponsorships and donations. "We worked together all on a text thread," Zuniga said. "Last night I sent the last text."
Her husband, Anthony, "did a lot of work behind the scenes," Zuniga said. Staff at some of the businesses helped wrap presents. So did members of the Toppenish High School wrestling team, some of whom are participating in the Reno Tournament of Champions this weekend.
"They were here pretty late helping" on Tuesday, "which was awesome," Zuniga said.
Altogether, sponsors and other supporters provided 344 gifts for Garfield students, she said. They showed off their gifts and participated in a rousing rendition of "Feliz Navidad," with fifth-grader Allison Godinez singing with a microphone in front of her fellow students.
Zuniga appreciates every business that participated and contributed their donations. "It truly means the world to me, and I'm grateful from the bottom of my heart," she said.
"I do want to thank every person who was a part of this," Zuniga said. "I hope this project is something that stays for many years to come."
Before the presents were distributed, the school librarian thanked Zuniga, too.
"Boys and girls, I think we've got to do something first. We have to give it up for Mrs. Zuniga. ... We are so lucky to have her at our school and to love on our kids," Godina said.
Someone asked Zuniga if Friday's event was what she envisioned.
"It was more. This has really brought a lot of joy to me," she said.