Santa and his elves will surprise hundreds of Pasco

students for the 39th year running when Energy Northwest employees deliver presents

as part of the Head Start holiday program that’s served 14,000 children since

it began.

“People are just so giving at our company,” said Michelle

Curtis, a training specialist for Energy Northwest and the company’s Head Start

coordinator. “This year, all the children were ‘adopted’ in less than two

weeks. That’s the fastest it’s been in a while.”

It’s an impressive result considering the number of people

who qualify for the Benton Franklin Head Start program continues to increase

yearly as the Tri-Cities’ population grows. The program serves babies and

preschool-aged children from low-income families in the community.

Energy Northwest collects wish lists from preschoolers

with a toy they’d like and a clothing item they need.

This year’s list included requests from 450 kids,

requiring nearly 50 percent of the 1,000 Energy Northwest employees to sponsor

at least one child to fill every request.

Employees shop for their assigned recipient and then turn

the gifts in to the company’s “North Pole,” where they are wrapped and labeled

with each child’s name.

The company assures equity in the classrooms by making

sure each child receives two presents. Many Head Start families have told the

company these are the only gifts their child will get this Christmas.

This year, Energy Northwest is hosting 16 parties across

two days to deliver all the gifts.

Six different Santas and elves will visit students on a

single day at Head Start’s Sunset Ridge location in west Pasco.

One of those Santas is Bob Schuetz, site vice president

for Energy Northwest, attended Head Start as a child in New Jersey in the

1960s.

“Even though it might be nearly 60 years ago, it still had

a very profound impression on me,” Schuetz said.

Schuetz still remembers his teacher’s name and said he

always looked forward to going to the summer program.

“I would not say we were poor. I don’t think I ever wanted

for much, but we lived a pretty simple life. This gave us the ability to hang

out in an environment that challenged us nearly every day with some type of

activity,” he said.

Schuetz previously donated his time to Head Start students

while serving in the Navy and looks forward to the chance to play Santa to

children around the same age as his own grandchildren.

“I think it did make a difference in my childhood, I

really do, and for my brothers and sisters as well. So if I can have the same

impact, or if we, as a company, can have the same impact on these kids today, I

know we’ll be much better for it,” Schuetz said.

To qualify for Head Start, most families must live below

the federal poverty line guidelines, a threshold that is met if a family of

four has an annual income of $25,750 or less. A small percentage of families

qualify due to a child with a diagnosed disability.

Started in 1965, Head Start reports it is the

longest-running national school readiness program in the United States and has

served tens of millions of children over the years.