Santa was dressed for the occasion. He’d put aside his heavy coat trimmed with fur for something lighter. His beard was fluffy white. He was jaunty, quick to laugh and delighted to see the kids, a leather-bound book of Santa’s list of who’s naughty and nice at his side.

One thing was missing. What had happened to Santa’s rotund figure? He looked trim in his vest, even svelte. Had he been on a New Year’s resolution diet? Actually, those who know “this Santa” can attest that he looked just as fit during the pre-Christmas Apponaug stroll, when he and Mrs. Claus waved to spectators from the perch on a Warwick Fire Department ladder truck. Santa was right at home on the truck. After all, as a retired Warwick firefighter, he should be.

He was also right at home welcoming two kids from each of the city’s elementary schools last Thursday at Robertson School for the Warwick Rotary Club annual Christmas party.

The party for students chosen by their school principals as coming from families who could use an extra boost was traditionally held between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But then along came Covid, turning traditions upside down. The Rotary Club board with Lara D’Antuono leading the way, reasoned a pre-summer vacation party could be more fun for the kids (mostly fourth-graders) as there could be games outside – even tossing water balloons or wet sponges at Rotary Club members such as Dan Scanlon Jr., Steve Tilley and Bob DeGregorio as they poked their heads through plywood cutouts.

Originally planned for May 22 – remember that windy and wet Thursday? – the party was postponed to last Thursday. The weather was better with only brief interludes of wet mist. That didn’t stop the Warwick Police and Fire Departments from showing up and letting the kids climb in and out of fire trucks and police cruisers or meet Brady, the police K-9.  But there were no water balloons or wet sponges.

And then it was time for pizza. Rotarians dispensed hot slices of pizza on paper plates along with fruit drinks at tables labeled by school. Meanwhile, a line formed to meet Santa, who handed his admirers brightly wrapped gifts. The students returned to their seats to finish their pizza or to go for seconds. The lure of those gifts were hard to resist – and once one boy ripped away the paper and opened a box to reveal a remote set of crazy wheels or a set of microphones and a karaoke speaker, the fun began, the rest of the kids joining in.

Santa caught the action from the adjoining hallway.

But we didn’t see him eat a single slice of pizza. After all, he had to keep up appearances.