CHESTERTOWN — As he was closing up on Dec. 7, after meeting with area children in his house in Fountain Park, Santa Claus presented 150 pairs of new socks to Paul McDonald, president of the Chestertown Lions Club.
Santa was overheard telling McDonald that his elves had been furiously knitting the socks for months and that they would be happy to know the socks would be warmly received.
The Chestertown Lions’ annual Christmas socks program distributes small gifts with hand-signed cards to residents of area nursing care and retirement facilities. This year’s socks are being delivered to the Resorts at Chester River Manor and Chestertown Nursing & Rehab.
The 2024 program is led by Jim Bogden, who is on a first-name basis with Santa, with guidance from Mary Lou Pagella, who ran the popular program for several years.
According to its website, the Chestertown Lions Club’s objectives are: to promote the principles of good government and good citizenship; to take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the community; to unite the clubs in bonds of friendship, good fellowship and mutual understanding; to provide a forum for the open discussion of all matters of public interest provided, however, that partisan politics and sectarian religion shall not be debated by club members; and to encourage service-minded people to serve their community without personal financial reward, and to encourage efficiency and promote high ethical standards in commerce, industry, professions, public works and private endeavors.
For more information or to become a club member, visit www.Chestertownlions.org.