Marketing students work on helping kids in need

When he came face to face with Santa Claus in the Spartan Shack on Tuesday, Dylan Matthews clammed up. It is, said his parents Luke and Katie, a seasonal ailment. He just isn’t comfortable talking to Santa yet, they said.

It fell to Dylan’s dad to tell the bearded man what the 5-year-old wanted for Christmas.

“He wants a Transformer and ‘Cars 2’ the movie,” Luke Matthews said.

Then Dylan and his mom posed for a picture standing beside Santa before he wished them all a “Merry Christmas.”

For Joe Collins, meeting youngsters while dressed as Santa Claus has been informative. A couple have asked for the movie “Happy Feet 2” and various dolls; one little boy asked for an aircraft carrier, he said

“I told him I couldn’t fit it in my sleigh,” said Collins, a senior at Superior High School. He and three of his DECA (an association of marketing students) classmates — Brianna Jensen, Alli Visger and Lexi Archambeau — came up with the idea to raise money by selling pictures with Santa for $1 each. The proceeds will buy coats for elementary students in need.

“We thought it would be fun,” Collins said. Jensen said they also hoped to get more people to stop by the Spartan Shack for their holiday sale. The students set up Santa’s throne during lunch hours and after school Monday and Tuesday. In all, about 35 people purchased pictures, and many were generous.

“A lot of people donated $5 or more,” toward their Coats for Kids project, Jensen said.

The Spartan Shack is open 5-7 p.m. weekdays through Dec. 22 as well as during the school day. For more information on items available, check out their Facebook page, Spartan Shack Holiday Sale.

Another DECA project to raise money for coats, a soup dinner, runs 4-7 p.m. Dec. 13 at the SHS cafeteria. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children age 10 and younger.

“We decided on Coats for Kids because there is definitely a need in our district,” said Sarah Nestrud, who is organizing the dinner with Katie Stenroos. The Superior School District had 170 kids identified as homeless last year.

“This is important because they are kids in our community and it affects them not only at home or school, but anywhere they may go during the winter season,” Nestrud said.

The two hope to raise at least $1,000 from the dinner. Donations of gently used coats can be dropped off at the event or during school days at the SHS main office.

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