Santa Claus made visits to Gloucester and Mathews counties this past weekend, in preparation for his marathon flight on Dec. 24. Some of the locations where he stopped included the Mathews Visitor and Information Center on Friday evening and the Abingdon Ruritan Club building in Bena on Sunday. At both stops, he spent most of the time talking to the boys and girls to find out what they want for Christmas. In top photo, 6-year-old Rohen Flaherty talks to Saint Nick at the annual children’s Christmas party hosted by the Abingdon Ruritans. The huge crowd came out for games, a cake walk, snacks and more. At right, Carrie Hudgins, 3, meets with the Jolly Old Elf at MCVIC. Many more pictures of children with Santa Claus, along with letters to Santa, will appear in the Gazette-Journal’s Dec. 23 "Christmas Greetings" section. Photos by Charlie Koenig and Quinton Sheppard
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