Santa swapped sleighs and red noses for school buses and stop signs on Thursday, December 17, 2020.

Three West Contra Costa Unified School District Santa Clauses took the school bus to deliver a special surprise to kindergartners at Downer Elementary School.

WCCUSD's Business Services department continued its annual tradition of adopting the kindergarten classes at one elementary school located in Richmond or San Pablo. This year the three classes Sylvia Trilla, Blair Warner, and Kanwall Rehill at Downer had a special visit from Santa.

Associate Superintendent of Business Services Tony Wold, Director of K-12 Julio Franco, and Emergency Preparedness Michael Booker donned Santa suits, board First Student buses, and paid the kindergartners in the three classes with a surprise visit from Santa Claus. Staff from WCCUSD’s Business Services will continue its 25-year tradition of adopting a kindergartner class at one school and delivering toys from Santa.

"Going in the classrooms, it’s nice because we can call them up by name and all of that, but actually meeting them at their doors is very special," said WCCUSD Purchasing Supervisor Mary Kitchen, who helped start the program in 1998.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WCCUSD’s business services team altered its annual Santa visit to one elementary school. The trio of Santas each boarded their own First Student bus and made between 15 to 17 stops in Richmond and San Pablo.

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