Tacos and Santa! Local business hosts free event to pay back act of kindness
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IDAHO FALLS — For its fifth year, a local business is hosting a free event this Sunday, inviting community members to come eat tacos and visit Santa Claus.
The owners of Calakas Tacos and Miches are hosting Tacos with Santa Claus at the Waterfront, 1220 Event Center Drive, at 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The event has traditionally been with pancakes, but co-owner Liliana Sanchez told EastIdahoNews.com that this year they wanted to change the event up just a bit.
In past years, the event featured pancakes, with children under 12 getting free pancakes and a drink. With the swap over to tacos, children will get free tacos and a drink.
The reason for the change is the financial strain families have felt this year, and it allows families to enjoy the day just a little more, according to Sanchez.
“I know that this year has not been the best for a lot of us,” Sanchez said. “ We decided just to change it a little bit so we can do it later on the day, so more people can go and take their kids.”
The event will feature Santa Claus, who will be in attendance for three hours, piñatas, vendors, kids’ activities, face painting, and a raffle for two bicycles.
The inspiration to have an event like this and to give back to the community came from an act of kindness that Sanchez and her family had while they were dealing with medical complications for their youngest son, Giovanni.
Giovanni was born with Menkes Disease, a disorder that affects the copper in the body.
Sanchez said that when Giovanni was born, her family had to travel to Utah to see doctors, and that Christmas, they didn’t have time to buy gifts or set up a Christmas tree.
Sanchez and her family lost Giovanni in 2007, but she said that for the 18 months of his life, they had one Christmas.
“We had him for one Christmas, and that Christmas that we had him, it was probably the hardest in all our lives,” Sanchez said. “We didn’t go to work, we couldn’t make money, and so on.”
While returning from a doctor’s visit in Utah, Sanchez and her family arrived home to find their front porch decorated with a Christmas tree and filled with presents.
Sanchez, to this day, doesn’t know who came by and dropped off the tree and presents.
“There are angels on earth,” Sanchez said. “That Christmas we had the best Christmas ever. This (event) is an opportunity for us to give back, to pay it forward to our community for the kids.”