Christmas arrived early for one Calumet City family on Sunday, thanks to a heartwarming surprise orchestrated by Mayor Thaddeus Jones. Dressed as Santa Claus, the mayor, accompanied by a team of elves, arrived in a sleigh at Lois Thomas’s home, delivering what appeared to be several Christmases’ worth of gifts to her six grandchildren.
Mayor Jones explained the motivation behind the generous act: “Growing up, we had 13 people in our family at one time. And this family reminds me so much of my mother that we had to come in and help.” Thomas, who has cared for her grandchildren for several years, particularly this past year which has presented challenges with all six children sharing her and her husband’s small home, was overcome with emotion. Seeing her home, already beautifully decorated for the holidays, overflowing with gifts brought her to tears. “I do what I do for these kids just because I want them to have the life and be loved like I was raised by my mom and my dad,” she explained.
Her grandchildren, clad in festive Christmas sweaters, eagerly began exploring their mountain of presents. The Jenga game and Barbie dollhouses were immediate favorites. Seven-year-old Nova Bailey, acknowledging potential sibling rivalry, commented, “I’m glad that there’s two, because we always sometimes argue over the toys, because she does not like to share.” Eleven-year-old Noah Sanders, displaying remarkable maturity, expressed his gratitude: “There’s a lot more people in the world that could have got this. But it was us, and I’m grateful for that.”
Thomas, deeply touched by the gesture, emphasized her devotion to her grandchildren: “I just do whatever I can to make them happy. They don’t call me ‘Granny.’ They don’t call me ‘Nana.’ They call me ‘Ma.'” This substantial gift delivery is the largest single act of generosity undertaken by Calumet City officials this season, but it is certainly not the last, with more giveaways planned leading up to Christmas Day.