We wanted to share some photos with you that were taken earlier this month at Quiet Visits with Santa. This annual event was created seven years ago by Just For Buyers Realty Office Manager Doug Wahl. In 2015 he teamed up with the Clinic For Special Children to create an event that would allow special needs children, including those on the Autism spectrum, to have a one-on-one appointment with Santa Claus.
Kids with sensory issues are often times not good candidates to wait in long lines, in big crowds and with music blaring in the background. They need something more soothing. The Quiet Visits program gives each child a 15 minute appointment, in a room that is free of any other distraction. Since its inception the program has created more than 200 one-on-one visits for children from across the tri-county area.
“It’s my favorite day of the year,” said Wahl. “I always get tricked every year. I think we’re doing something special for the kids, but then I end up watching their parents. That’s what always gets me. You’re watching them watching a moment that they thought would never happen for their child. It really is a very special day.”
These pictures will help explain the passion behind this project. They were taken by photographer Sheerie Buffum and are shared here with her permission.
