ASDC Oregon/Washington
Holidays Party for Deaf Children

Holidays Party History

Santa Claus was added to the party in 1989, and the first Santa was a Deaf man from the Salem area, Robert Morgan. In the early 1990's two Deaf men from the Portland area, Mike Boyd and Mike Yerkes, took turns playing the Santa Claus. A Mrs. Santa Claus was added in 1995, with Susan Barnett of Portland playing this role. Mike Boyd and Susan Barnett are our current Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.

Zelma and Gretchen were the Christmas Party hosts in 1987, 1988, and 1989, until Gretchen and her family moved to the Puget Sound area. After Gretchen's departure, Zelma became the sole Party chairperson from 1990 to 1998. Zelma's dynamic assistants from 1990 through 1992 were Sarah Miller and Christine Kindblade.

Out of a respect for families of different religions, the party committee decided to move the Party to a non-religious location, and in 1992 the party was moved from Catholic Church facilities to the Multnomah Community Center, in the Multnomah Village district of Portland.

Edward Ingham joined the Christmas Party committee in 1993 and began fundraising efforts so that the Party could grow and the kids could be given better quality presents. The 1993 and 1994 parties were held at the Portland Conference Center, across the street from Oregon Convention Center. In respect for non-Christians, the Party committee voted to change the name to Annual Holidays Party for Deaf Children and Family. Around 100 children attended the 1994 Party, in which Santa met some of the children at the Gateway MAX station and accompanied them to the Portland Conference Center on a MAX train.

The free room offered for the party by Portland Conference Center was rather crowded during the 1994 Party, and the Party committee decided that a larger room was needed. Through assistance from Wendy Keedy, a parent, and deaf education professor Dr. Bill Brelje of Lewis & Clark College, we were able to secure free use of two large rooms at Lewis & Clark College's Templeton College Center.

Chairperson Zelma Hokanson decided to step down after the 1998 Party and appointed Edward Ingham to take over as chairperson. Edward appointed Sarah Miller to become co-chairperson for the 1999 and 2000 Parties.

In 1998, Johann and Michele Paoletti-Schelp of P-S Squared, Inc., the largest interpreter referral agency in the Pacific Northwest, offered to help the Annual Holidays Party by asking their employees to donate toys at their annual employees' Christmas luncheon. In 1999, Kristi Winter and Edward Ingham established an Annual Holidays Potluck Party at their home, in which all guests are expected to donate a toy for admission. Both toy drives made important contributions to the Annual Holidays Party for Deaf Children and Their Families through 2002.

With a goal of getting more parents involved in planning and sponsoring the Annual Holidays Party, Edward appointed a parent, Chris Anderson, to be his co-chair for the 2001 Party. In 2002, the Annual Holidays Party became a Parent Affiliate group of the American Society for Deaf Children, and the party became the ASDC OR/WA Holidays Party for Deaf Children.

In 2003, Edward moved to Washington, D.C. after nine years of service to our holidays party. Chris Anderson and Betsy Burks were the co-chairs for the 2003 and 2004 party, with Zelma Hokanson as honorary co-chair. In 2005, Chris Anderson and Jennifer Hummel were co-chairs, with Zelma Hokanson as honorary co-chair. Chris Anderson and Susan Anderson were co-chairs in 2006, with Zelma Hokanson as honorary co-chair. Since 2007, Susan Anderson, Nate Hergert and Chris Anderson have served as co-chairs, with Zelma Hokanson as honorary co-chair.