Our Morning with Jolly Old St. Nicholas
On Saturday, December 7, Byline joined with local business leaders, the Woman’s Board of the Community House, and Community House staff and friends, to celebrate Santa’s whistle-stop tour of Winnetka. This annual event is a beloved seasonal marker on the Village calendar, and its two breakfast seatings sell out every year as lines of Winnetka and other North Shore locals vie for a spot in the Community House’s Matz Hall.
This year, Santa and Mrs. Claus made their yearly stop just as usual, and their advance-team elves were met by eager Community House volunteers. There were even flocks of well-spoken teens at hand—members of the Community House’s new Junior Board snapped up shifts and were proud to don the coveted helper-elf hats as they manned the crafts table, helped quiet and entertain overstimulated siblings, and dished out plate after plate of delicious breakfast offerings.
The Woman’s Board of the Community House hosts Breakfast with Santa every year. It’s one of the volunteer organization’s four signature fundraisers, which together raise well over $100,000 each year to support the House. The other signature fundraisers are November’s annual Antiques + Modernism Show, which has been a fixture on Chicago’s design scene for decades, February’s Wine + Beer Tasting, and the new spring Fashion Show, which is already proving to be a hit in its own right!
The line of families waiting to join the festivities stretched into the hallway, as festively clad kids strained for a glimpse of the Big Fella and his missus either in Matz Hall or in the nearby holiday “library,” where signed books from Santa were ready to go home on permanent loan to the celebrants. New Trier’s famed Swing Choir even put in an appearance, adding a smooth vocal jazz set to the entertainment during Santa’s reindeer check.
We understand the commitment to community engagement each and every worker, volunteer and performer demonstrated on the day. Byline has been proud to be a trusted partner in the Chicagoland neighborhoods that we’ve called home for over 100 years. We are honored to serve where our patrons also live, work and play right alongside us. We know that it’s in all our best interests to keep our unique and varied communities thriving. We wouldn’t have it any other way: we’re just where we want to be.
To find out how Byline could support your event, contact us.
