Page 38 - December 2017

38 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2017
Lodge 7 Family Auxiliary Christmas event once again spreads the holiday cheer to members
n PHOTOS BY JAMES PINTO
e uniting, joy-to-the-world force that the Lodge 7 Family Auxiliary Lunch With Santa has become com- pletely engulfed Tom Robertson’s family.
e 6th District O cer has come to this event each of the past six years, and his boys have truly grown up here. Eight-year-old Gavin led his brothers, Brody, 5, and 4-year-old twins Dillon and Trevor, up to the stage of the FOP Hall on Dec. 2 to meet Santa. ey knew it wasn’t the real one, even though paramedic John Si- mon, whose dad was a Lodge 7 member, does a pretty real impersonation.
But Robertson’s boys all walked away lled with spirit because of the feeling Lunch With Santa gives all
who attend.
“ ere are enough presents that everybody walk
ks away with something,” Robertson con rms.
Amidst the gi ra es, cra making and hot dogs, Lunch With Santa provides an upli ing start to the holiday season for so many Lodge 7 members and their families. As the line to take pictures with the big guy stretched the length of the hall, the magnitude of the event could be easily felt. It drew members like Tim Hansen, an o cer with tactical team in Mass Transit, who came for the rst time with his children Ian, 6, Keegan, 5, and Finnegan, 21⁄2, and wife Brigid.
“ is is our rst year doing it. We found out about it from some guys at work,” Hansen related. “ e kids
oved it. ey wanted to come and see Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas. It’s awesome.”
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