CATALAO – Despite the hot and humid weather of the Amazon rainforest, Santa Claus made a special visit this past weekend, traveling by two boats to deliver gifts to children in a village near Manaus, Brazil.
This heartwarming event was orchestrated by Amigos do Papai Noel, a charitable organization in Brazil that has been spreading joy by giving presents to children in the Amazon rainforest for over 26 years.
Raimunda Ferrera Vieira, a respected community leader in Catalao village, expressed, “For the children living along the rivers and the rural areas, new experiences are rare. Santa’s visit was truly a blessing for us and a moment we cherish as a gift from above.”
More than 600 children from different villages gathered in Catalao to receive presents from Santa, who dressed in his traditional nightcap, white gloves and red suit, while enduring the stifling jungle heat.
To get to the kids, the Brazilian Santa sailed on a large boat down the Amazon river, then paddled a canoe along a swampy tributary.
Dozens of volunteers formed a line to Santa’s boat to help him unload his holiday cargo of stuffed animals, dolls and soccer balls. And two of the helper even had to carry Santa off his boat to prevent his boots from getting wet, due to the lack of a pier.
According to Amigos do Papa Noel, changes in the weather have complicated gift deliveries.
This year, the water levels of the two largest rivers in the area, the Amazon and the Rio Negro, are still low. So children had to gather in a community where the river was deep enough for Santa’s boat to arrive.
“We knew this would be difficult” said Pedro Carvalho Filho, a computer programmer who manages Amigos do Papai Noel. “Usually on this day we make three deliveries to the riverside communities.”
Still, Santa said all the sweat and toil was worth it.
“Every child in every community always smiles back” said Santa impersonator Jorge Alberto Moreira. “Wherever you go there’s a smile, it’s a great joy.”
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