Santa's Workshop returns for another year of family fun

You could hear the excitement in the kids voices even before stepping into the gym at Lincoln School Saturday morning. More than 70 kids were inside, making their way from station to station at Santa's Workshop to create Christmas gifts for their family and friends.

Organizer Jill Frisbee said that the kids and their parents are her favorite part. It's what keeps her coming back to help year after year. "I think sometimes the parents are almost as excited as the kids." Frisbee said she has a good core group of volunteers that help and she always recruits new ones too.

Pastor Art McCafferty has been helping at the annual event for more than 15 years. He says the kids are his favorite part of the workshop. This year he and his wife, Connie, along with other members of Blackfoot Valley Bible Church, were helping the children create a manger scene wall hanging made of felt. They are given a basic design but each comes out differently. Pastor Art said he loves to see the kid's creativity.

Members of the American Legion always have a building project for the kids. In the past, it has been bird houses and license plate dust pans. This year they were making boot jacks. One member said that they probably enjoy the day more than the kids do.

Some of the other crafts they got to make also included pencil cups, "poo-pourri", shrinky dinks, and cross necklaces.

Santa's Workshop is sponsored by the Lincoln Arts Council, with the American Legion, Blackfoot Valley Bible Church, Community Bible Church, Lincoln Baptist Church and individual volunteers all coming together to provide projects for the kids.

Santa's Workshop is held every year on the first Saturday in December at the Lincoln School Gym.