Turkey and potatoes, black patent leather shoes and a bright red dress added to 5-year-old Trinity Chisholm’s Christmas, but only one thing truly made her day.
“Santa Claus!” she shouted, fishing out Polaroids from underneath a napkin at the Denver ChopHouse & Brewery. “I got to see Santa Claus. And I got two pictures with him.”
Trinity, her mother and sister Skye were some of the expected 4,000 people attending the 11th annual Miracle on 19th Street. The event, which lasts all day and is sponsored by the ChopHouse and a number of other agencies, fed homeless families and others who need shelter services.
Santa Claus dished out ho-ho-hos and high-fives to the children, while a guitar player sang Christmas songs. The Denver Nuggets Cheerleaders mingled throughout the restaurant, occupying the attention of some of the adults.
Robert Kaczmarczyk, managing partner of the ChopHouse, said about 3,000 people around the metro area would be bused in and another 1,000 would be walk-ins.
“We also offered the services to anyone who is still displaced because of the airport problems,” he said, referring to the thousands of people who had been stranded at Denver International Airport during last week’s blizzard.
Kim Rodenberg, 36, said she and her husband didn’t have the money for Christmas presents and a good dinner this year so they took a bus from the Park Hill area to the ChopHouse.
“It’s the best meal I’ve had in a long time,” said Rodenberg, noting that she struggles to pay her $600 a month rent and high heating bills.
Up the street a few blocks, the Salvation Army set up dinner in the Colorado Convention Center. Not only did hundreds of kids get presents, they got to pick them out.
Tables along one side of the exhibit hall overflowed with stuffed animals, Barbies, puzzles, basketballs and footballs – an entire year of donations.
“They wanted the baby dolls,” said Daniella Torres, nodding to her daughters Kate, 3, and Aliha, 2, who had two overfilled white plastic bags filled with toys to bring back to Thornton.
Salvation Army Maj. Neal Hogan, who heads up the Denver-area branch, said it’s important not only for kids to be able to pick out what they like but for parents to be served at a table as if they are in a restaurant.
“They stand in line all year round,” he said. “They should know that people care.”
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
