FCA turns up the holiday spirit at Kennesaw’s Photos with Santa event

Mackenzie Blanco, Copy Editor

December 4, 2024

Each year, Marcus Williams, the West Cobb Area Director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), helps host the Photos with Santa event for the Kennesaw and Acworth communities. This year, the event took place at the Kennesaw Heritage Clubhouse for families with children of all ages with the help of West Cobb FCA schools. Students from various high schools volunteered to guide photo sessions and help with arts and crafts activities.

Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1, West Cobb Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) schools helped coordinate the annual Photos with Santa event at the Kennesaw Heritage Clubhouse. During the two-day event, families from the Kennesaw and Acworth communities came together to fuel the start of the holiday season with jolly-filled activities.

Starting off the event Saturday morning, volunteers began setting up tables and chairs for the cookie decorating and ornament stations. At tables lined with red and green covers and the walls adorned with Christmas-themed window clings, families began filing into the room to take pictures with Santa Claus. Each family participated in the Christmas event during their designated time slot so that children could participate in all the stations, such as cookie decorating, to their fullest extent.

After families showed up dressed in their best outfits and checked in at the registration table, children visited the guitar-playing Santa Claus to capture adorable photos. Santa caroled various of his well-known songs for the kids and then sent them along their merry way to enjoy other activities alongside volunteers dressed in elf costumes to fully capture the essence of the North Pole.

“I helped entertain the kids and take family pictures and I would ask the parents if they needed any help. [My favorite part] was helping the children because they were so sweet. I would help them put ornaments on a velcro Christmas tree. They loved that activity,” magnet sophomore Isabella Morales said.

Kids picked out their favorite cookies with colorful frosting and sprinkles to decorate while listening to cheerful Christmas music. Alongside the cookie decorating activities, kids released their creativity while building ornaments for their Christmas tree or as simple decorations. Designed with vibrant sketches and, in certain cases, lined with Bible verses, kids added bits and pieces of Scripture onto their ornaments for a reminder of the real reason for Christmas festivities.

As families enjoyed decorating cookies and creating ornaments, hot cocoa fulfilled their warm craving during the cold, fall morning. Aside from those activities, FCA volunteers helped monitor a Mr. Grinch prize wheel, stirring up excitement as kids spun and waited to see what they would win. Prizes ranged from slap bracelets to sweet treats such as Christmas-themed candy necklaces and Ring Pops.

“[FCA hosting this event helped spread The Gospel] because some of the parents were asking me what FCA was and what I do with it. Just a lot of questions about it so I got to talk about FCA and my faith. I think this event just helped spread some holiday spirit and Christian love,” Morales said.

FCA volunteers continued serving their community December 1 in hopes of spreading God’s name until the event closed. In certain instances, curious parents walked by the clubhouse, allowing volunteers to share what FCA stands for and various volunteers received the chance to share their faith. While FCA hosted a wonderful two-day Photos with Santa event, other local shops and establishments currently hold similar events to spark further holiday cheer.

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About the Contributor

Mackenzie Blanco, Copy Editor

Mackenzie Blanco, a magnet junior, continues her time on The Chant as a copy editor for the 2024-2025 school year. Ever since she could remember, Blanco has admired utilizing her writing skills to release her creative thoughts and steadfast opinions. As her second year on The Chant unfolds, Blanco continues to explore her writing style, the realm of editing and ultimately build up her view of the journalism field, which she aspires to pursue in college. Blanco envisions her junior year to be full of new opportunities, friendships and exceptional advancements for The Chant, while also maintaining a proud stance of her other commitments. Outside of the Pub Office, Blanco can be found spinning her equipment as a member of NC’s Color Guard, on walks with her dog, Chico, going on strenuous hikes, baking yummy treats or spending time at church—alongside her favorite people. She is also a co-leader of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and a member of NC’s Bible study club, Collective Hope. Blanco hopes that The Chant will continue to bring her the inspiration to make an impact on the world with her writing. Find her on Instagram @mackenzie.blanco3.