Santa Claus Comes to Town

Fifteen years ago, Michael Berns (second from right above) and his wife, Wendy, began sharing their seasonal spirit with clients of the Alpha Resource Center, which provides education and support for people with disabilities and their families. Today, the Santa Visit and Christmas Karaoke Party is a beloved annual tradition. This year’s party was last Friday, when the Bernses, who own a karaoke business, set up their equipment in the main room and sang Christmas tunes before St. Nick — escorted by firefighters from Fire Station 13 — arrived to the exuberant applause of the crowd. Santa listened to the wish lists of the attendees and then gave each a small gift, such as the Beanie Babies that the Alpha staff collect throughout the year for the occasion. Berns’s siblings also help plan and arrange the event each year, explained his sister, Patty. “This is a way for our family to give back to the center because of everything they’ve done for our brother Jim, who attends classes here,” she said. See alphasb.org.