Santa Brings Joy in July
Christmas in July – the festive, fun, annual tradition at The Children’s Inn at NIH – lived up to high standards with a sunny day of carousel rides, ice cream treats and shopping at the Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg.
Montgomery County police, along with officers from the National Institutes of Health, picked up families from The Inn in two vans. Santa on a motorcycle led the motorcade up I-270 to Rio. Officers halted the afternoon traffic, allowing families to arrive quickly and in style.
“We treat families at The Inn like we treat the President of the United States,” said David McBain, Assistant Montgomery County Police Chief. “From the moment we pull into The Inn until the final farewell on the bus, you truly see these kids and their families with huge smiles on their faces.”
Eight-year-old Issy and her twin brother, Owen, siblings from Minnesota, were among the first children to jump on the decorative carousel. They joined Inn families and police for a musical ride. As the carousel circled, the twin siblings beamed, blew kisses and waved.
Dick’s House of Sport had a table with gifts for each of the 15 Inn families. The families then went shopping at Target, thanks to the generous donation from Inn parent Peter Miller from New Jersey, whose daughter was treated at the NIH. Christmas music played in the store as each child was paired with a police officer for “Shop with a Cop.”
Issy didn’t hesitate sharing her favorite part of the day: “Shopping. I got Legos and a little puzzle.”
The excitement wrapped up at Silver Diner, where families and police were treated to a buffet dinner and then delicious gelato at Fantasticks. Then, Santa led the police motorcade with families back to The Inn.
“I’ve been doing this since at least 2014, and it never gets old,” said Assistant Chief McBain. “What the Children’s Inn does for the kids is amazing, and I’m just so blessed to be a part of it.”
Media coverage of the event:
- Christmas in July