“It just keeps growing and this year we prepared for 700!” said Bonnie Pittl, volunteer administrator for the city of Kettering. ” It was originally more for the senior population; now we plan children’s activities and encourage families to come as well.”
Come they all did on a rainy Christmas afternoon — by car, by bus, by RTA’s Project Mobility. And though the day was gray, inside the historic white brick farmhouse there was singing and laughter and joy.
Highlights of the annual celebration on Bigger Road include carols in the homestead’s living room with Raymonde Rougier at the keyboard, pictures with Santa, a Christmas train display in the barn and a holiday buffet featuring goodies ranging from meatballs and chicken nuggets to the always-popular fried mac-and-cheese bites.
Children are invited to pick out a book to take home and to make a picture frame for their Santa photo. Everything is free.
Pittl said the event could never happen without the 70 volunteers whose duties range from greeting guests and serving food to leading songs and supervising kids’ activities. Marynel and Bill Bradley serve as volunteer chairs.
“My favorite thing about the day is knowing that so many people in this area have someone to celebrate the holiday with rather than be alone,” said Marynel, who said she leaves the party each year really understanding the true meaning of Christmas.
Jenni Dodaro, 25, was a high school member of the Kettering Youth Council when she first heard that volunteers were needed for the event. She encouraged her family members to offer their services and they’ve been volunteering ever since.
Over the past 12 years Jenni — a former Kettering Holiday at Home queen — has done everything from refilling platters of food to playing Mrs. Claus. She’s already informed her fiance that once they’re married, they’ll be spending every Christmas at Polen Farm.
Leslie Mamula, who also volunteers with her family each year, said she loves seeing guests with smiles on their faces.
It was the eighth time Justin Snowden, 26, had come to the event with his siblings.
“My mother and father are in Germany right now, and we feel we can keep the tradition of Christmas by coming here,” he explained. “We always take a picture with Santa.”
Helen Davis, who has lived in Kettering her entire life, remembers when there were cattle grazing on the grounds of the 160-year old homestead. Her son, James, said he always loves coming to the historic farm.
Although the Davis family gets together on Christmas Eve, in recent years they’ve established a new tradition of coming to Polen Farm on Christmas afternoon. They like seeing old friends and meeting new people.
“This Christmas party is just one of the reasons why Kettering was just named as one of the top 100 family-friendly cities, ” said Helen Davis. “It makes you feel like you belong to a community.”
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