Most parents would love Santa to deliver all that’s on their children’s list. Jasmine Miller, a single mother of five certainly would. This year, she got a little help.

“I really feel like this took the pressure off,” she said as one of her children put the final item in the red buggy of toys she wouldn’t have to pay for.

Every year, since 1980, the Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles has played Santa to local children. For the past seventeen years, the group has made sure 40 youngsters from Prien Lake , S.J. Welsh, F.K. White, St. John, AA Nelson and Brentwood schools celebrate Christmas a little early and a lot happier. Counselors select students. In previous years, students received a meal from McDonald’s before the shopping spree that gives them $100 to spend. Target discounts purchases 10 percent. This year, no McDonald’s. However, the amount to spend went up to $125. Barbe High School Key Club members and/or a Kiwanis Club member shop with the youth, adding purchases as they go. Some of the elementary children have no concept of exactly how much they can get for $100.

Elizabeth Soileau returns a big-ticket item when she finds out she has only a few more dollars to spend on something and picks up a toy called Upside-Down goggles, giggling as she urges her parents to look through them. She asks about the price and seems satisfied with her father’s response.

“It’s not something I would want,” said her mother Julia Morales, “but then I’m not an 8-year-old.”

Not all the picks are items familiar to Kiwanis members, but as long as that is what the child wants and the total price tag rings up within the $125 limit, no problem.

Charles Jackson is a grandfather who lives in a multi-generational household. He’s shopping with his granddaughter and trying to navigate the store as she names the items might want, shoes, something for her room maybe…

“I wish there would have been something like this for my family when I was growing up,” Jackson said. This is truly amazing, something all kids dream of happening.”

Makayla, “Monkey” Tharp and her brother, Layton, made out a list in advance. On Monkey’s list are LED lights, skates, shoes, a movie and “maybe a cute bag,” the 11-year-old said. She tries on her first pair of shoes, looks at the price and asks her mother if it’s OK if she gets them.

“The money, all $125, it’s all for you to spend,” her mom Ashley Thibodeaux said. “You get to choose.”

Braylon Ivey’s grandmother is grateful for the spree, but she’s wary of letting her grandson get certain items.

“If I step on it, it disappears,” she warns when he picks up something smallish that could cause pain to a bare foot.

“That’s not gonna happen,” he assured her with a big, toothy grin.”

She seems skeptical, and the shoppers move on.

Sebastian Bricknac was the most exuberant about the shopping spree, especially excited about his Eevee and Pikachu Pokemon stuffed toys, with which he couldn’t stop playing.

Kiwanis member Dean Roberts and his wife Brooke, seem to be having fun, except for repeated price checks. Many items weren’t tagged.

“Our kids are a little older,” said Brooke, and a little harder to shop for. It’s usually a couple of gifts and it’s mostly money for them. I guess these younger ones like picking out things for themselves as well. They’re having a blast doing it.”

Long-time South Lake Charles Kiwanis Club Member Tim Wood organizes the event and makes sure it runs smoothly each year. We’ve been doing something like this every Christmas since 1980,” he said, “and it never gets old seeing the joy in these children’s faces.”