Having a blessing of a Christmas

Inwood native Nicole Di Iorio set out to organize a Christmas event that her niece, Aaliyah, 4, who attends the Lawrence Early Childhood Center at the Number Four School, could be a part of.

Di Iorio, along with many others — Patty and Nick Palamese, who played Santa and Mrs. Claus, Bobby Stanya, Joey and Michelle Saninosencio, Denise Lafayette, Cynthia Nuzzi Prunty, Monica E. Ortiz, Sasha Young, Shannon Chism, Cort Kennedy, Olivia Rose, Shameeka Davila, Shannon Mateiko, Scott Mateiko Jr., Leslie Drayton, Terry Vota, Dionne Blackshear Thomas and Michelle Williams — put together “Christmas Blessing that created tons of Christmas Smiles” at the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence on Dec. 19.

The three-hour event had more than 500 children receive donated from people as close as the Five Towns and from several states. “There is not anything that can stop a crew on a mission,” Di Iorio said. “My goal was and is to make sure that my niece, Aaliyah, sees her aunt serving and blessing other people and to be part of that.”

Imagination Faces did the face painting, Nalini Thomas donated her photography skills, and took photos the children with Santa, and “DJ White lightening” better known as Patrice Nolan donated her spinning acumen. There was also a bouncy house and popcorn machine.

Denise Murphy, Heather Reichling and Stephen San Jose donated their arts and crafts skills for that section of the event. Kaye Gardener, Atasha Mays Fredericks and Christian Fredericks ran the hot coco and snack stand. Cori Brunson led the raffle table, while thee Warrior Martial Arts Academy donated free month-long lessons and a uniform to each child in attendance.

“We were also able to feed a handful of families and fill their refrigerators with food for a month because I asked for people to donate stop and shop cards and have a gofundme.com/christmas101 site,” Di Iorio said, adding the site will remain up until Christmas and there was a table with free clothing and household items.