The faces of about a dozen children, mostly from the WindReach Recreational Village, lit up with the excitement and joy usually reserved for Christmas morning.

The 11 boys and girls received early Christmas presents from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at the weekly Hamilton Rotary Club Luncheon yesterday. Rotarians hosted the event, The People’s Pharmacy donated the gifts.

“This is the greatest thing,” said Rotary Club president Keith Clifton.

It’s been several years since his organisation has put together this type of event, and just moments after it was over he was already making plans to do it bigger and better next year.

“What I’m hoping is we’ll get some money donated from some of the exempt companies and get some real nice presents and bring many more people in,” he said.

The large dining room at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club was filled with children and some adults who are either clients of WindReach, on the centre’s wheelchair basketball team, or invited by the Phenomenal Women Organisation.

Gwen Smith and Karen Johnson came with three of their students from Gilbert Primary School.

“They enjoyed every minute,” said Ms Johnson. “They surprised me when they wanted to go back for seconds!”

Mrs. Smith explained that her special needs kids can’t articulate what the gift giving meant to them, but said, “they reacted how you saw.”

And the visions were of bright smiles and nearly uncontrollable happiness.

WindReach is “a place where special needs people can interact with everyone,” according to the facility’s executive director Lance Furbert.

Most of the kids at the luncheon take part in WindReach’s music enrichment programme where special needs kids are given an appreciation of music every Monday.

“Music has proven helpful for the special needs community, so our teachers emphasise on the methods that help,” he said.

Donna Maie Butterfield works in the public school system and had to twist the arm of young David Smith to leave behind his class at Francis Patton and go to the event.

He didn’t believe Ms Butterfield when she told him Santa Claus would be there.

“When he saw Santa he said, ‘Santa came!’ I was like: ‘Told you.’”

“It’s crayons,” was one of the very few words spoken by David as he held his wrapped gift, which about three feet in size, defied his prediction.

Like all the others David fought the temptation to rip the packaging open, vowing to wait at least until they got home.

No one promised that they could wait until Christmas morning.