Pictured with Santa are Matt Hawkins–Key, Jada Brown, Cecelia Anderson, Kayla Jackson, Victoria Bedgood, Brittany Roe, Jabria Thomas, Shaquille Portee, Brianna Russell, Willie Green, Tyan Vereen, Daniel Pogue, Courtney Wilson, and Jason Harmon. Photo by Gail Trebuchon

The Richland Sertoma Club hosted its annual “Signing Santa” Friday December 9, 2005 at Brennan Elementary School’s Speech and Hearing Impaired class, much to the delight of the children present.

“It is such a treat for these children to see Santa speak to them in their language, the language of sign,” said Richland Sertoma Club president Linda K. Sterne. The Richland Sertoma Club has provided the “Signing Santa” to the Brennan children for the past four years.

Brennan speech and hearing teachers agree. “The children just light up when they can sign back and forth with Santa,” said teacher Jennifer Stokes.

Santa stayed at Brennan for about an hour, “signing” with the 14 children in the special class for children who are deaf or hearing impaired.

The Richland Sertoma Club is part of the Sertoma International network of civic and service clubs across the world. Richland Sertoma Club raises money for speech and hearing impaired children during the year and sends children to Camp Sertoma near Clemson during the summer.

For more information about the appearance of the “Sign Language Santa” contact Jack Sterne at (803) 419-8558 or Jennifer Stokes at (803) 738-7334 at Brennan. For information about joining the Richland Sertoma Club or any of the five Sertoma clubs in the Columbia area, contact Jack Sterne, (803) 419-8558.