Neither rain nor gusty winds nor a dark chilly morning could keep Downey’s second graders from their luncheon date with the Rotary Club of Downey. Nor, everyone hoped, could the weather keep Santa from arriving.

The heroes of the morning were the principals and teachers from each of Downey’s 13 K-5 schools. They, in their own cars, and not big yellow school buses, drove the children to the Rio Hondo Event Center, where everyone converged in little groups of fours and fives and right on time.

Waiting to greet them informally in the big front lobby were Bill Kirkwood in a cranberry-colored jacket, and John Lacey in a holly red shirt and a Dr. Seuss-sized umbrella.

Inside, the Bob Winningham Banquet Room was a buzz of excited voices as the children clustered around the tables, set with white table cloths and red and green napkins. The Rotarians were outnumbered, with 72 visitors in attendance, counting the children and two staff persons from each school.

One little boy was so excited he was twirling and dancing all by himself beside the big picture windows overlooking the golf course. So many Rotarians were already helping, setting up the presents, and bringing out trays of cookies, and sitting down with their small guests.

The children were in their shiny best, pink quilted jackets and sequined butterflies or sturdy knit winter sweaters. The teachers wore necklaces of painted Christmas ornaments, and some had red stocking caps. Rotarian Joyce Y. wore Christmas tree glasses frames and sequined cones in her hair, and Jazlyn Acebal sported red antlers. Patricia Megallon wore a one of a kind red and green Santa’s helper costume. Everyone was festive. The lunch items did not go to waste: chicken and French fries with ketchup disappeared fast from the children’s plates.

The schools have a desirable teacher to student ratio of 25 to 1, but the population of each school is large, say 900, compared to what I remember of my childhood. Yet each principal knows each child, the ones who got a ride to school today, and the ones who walked in spite of the rain.

“Do you think Santa’s coming?” I asked, and got a chorus of “Yes.” One little girl showed me how she had crossed her fingers on both hands, for extra good luck.

“We have several conferences,” said an advisor from Alameda school, “to pick children who probably won’t have any other holiday meal or gifts. Family need is considered, and we also want to reward good attendance and citizenship.”

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the children’s treble voices rang out above ours. Everyone was masked, and the children remembered to mask up again after they ate. We all sang Jingle Bells, Rotarians jingling their car keys to accompany the tune, and Feliz Navidad, complete with hand claps.

“It’ll take one more song,” said Debbie Fox, who along with husband Dan led the choruses. And sure enough, with the strains of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, the jolly old elf appeared.

He had a curly white beard and flowing locks, gold-rimmed spectacles and a round little belly. This was a dancing Santa. He capered into the room and bowed and waved his way to his chair in front.

“Have you been good this year?” asked Santa, and a resounding yes came back as his answer.

Dr. John Garcia, Superintendent of the Downey Unified School District, came forward to read the names of each child as each school was called up. I sat with Alameda School, right next to Imperial. Rio San Gabriel, where my own kids had gone, was called first, Dr. John getting away from the usual alphabetical order. Barbara Lamberth and her committee made sure that a picture was taken of Santa with each school group of girls and boys, a copy to be given to each child to remember this day.

As they unwrapped their presents, I could see that each girl got colorful Disney Hair Accessories: a hairbrush, comb, headband and sparkly barrettes. Each boy got a Harry Potter action figure. Plus lots more Christmas goodies.

Popcorn, Oreo cookies, hot chocolate bombs, candy necklace for girls and boxed candy for boys.

Resourceful teachers had brought plastic envelopes to bag each child’s take-home goodies and the peppermint canes and foil-wrapped chocolates that decorated the tables. We know these will be shared with all the brothers and sisters at home. Half an hour after Santa’s appearance and they were packed up and on their way back to their schools.

This was a bright morning for the children, but it is one the Rotarians look forward to all year. Tickets are sold for fund raisers and the proceeds go toward purchasing the lunches and the gifts: dues don’t begin to cover it. Whatever the expenses may be, the day is priceless.