Secret Santa Returns to North Side; Hams Given Away
Santa is in town! He is here to bring some cheer to needy families and so today he was out in full force giving away hams around the city. This is the fourth year that he is helping to make some families’ Christmas brighter but he is not ready to disclose his identity. The secret Santa got his friend ACP Edward Broaster to help him out again this year. And today the reporters covering the Christmas cheer selected the families to get a ham. Andrea Polanco was out around the city today and shares some of the highlights.
ACP Edward Broaster, Operations Commander
“I see unu with the ham.”
Resident
“No. Don’t say unu and incriminate me.”
Edward Broaster
ACP Edward Broaster
“See it right yah! [Hands over ham]”
Resident
“Bwai get up – get away with dah ham. You di try [laughs] Don’t plant any ham on me. [Laughs]”
ACP Edward Broaster
“One ham, two ham, three ham.”
Resident
“Hey – bwai yuh mek mi heart gone!”
Resident
“[Laughs] Oh my God! A gift? A gift?”
Andrea Polanco
“That Secret Santa di give out – what you think?”
Resident
“Thank you very much! He just gave me the tick because these police are real bad when they ready.”
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Secret Santa was out and about today in the City; giving away free hams to deserving families! More than thirty hams were given away in underprivileged neighborhoods and even on City buses. It was a welcome surprise for all the recipients. These ladies were taken down off a bus on Albert Street and ACP Edward Broaster pretended to interrogate them for carrying an illegal item – little did they know it was all a joke that would result in a free ham each – mixed with some laughter and even tears.
Resident #1
“Seventy-five years of age and I mi gwein dah jail for nothing weh I nuh know.”
Resident #2
“Thank you, ma’am because I neva have no ham. So, I appreciate weh I get fi the Christmas. Thanks.”
Andrea Polanco
“How you wah cook this ham?”
Resident #2
“Ah wah bake it.”
Resident #3
“This is a big surprise”
Resident #1
“Weh bring me out dah wah piece of chicken fi mek ah go cook and then I get on pahn the bus, waiting for the bus. So, I thank you very much.”
Andrea Polanco
“You’re crying?”
Resident #4
“Yes.”
Andrea Polanco
“Why?”
Resident #4
“Tears of joy.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, you neva have no ham yet?”
Resident #4
“Ah neva have.”
Andrea Polanco
“Alright. You di get wah free one today. Tell we how yuh cook dah ham?”
Resident #4
“Ah wah bake it. Ah wah bake it.”
Andrea Polanco
“You mi di expect this?”
Resident #5
“No, ma’am. And I thankful for it because I have six kids. It wah come wah long way fi my babies deh, and me miss. Thanks.”
ACP Edward Broaster leads today’s mission. He approached the unsuspecting recipients on the buses and even at home. We, the reporters covering the story, were tasked with selecting the lucky families to receive the hams. And they were grateful – majority didn’t have a ham as yet.
Resident #6
“Look like it wah be wah sad Christmas.”
Andrea Polanco
“Well, you just get wah ham. How you wah cook this ham?”
Resident #6
“Hmm. I mussie wah bake it.”
Andrea Polanco
“Who all wah share this ham with yuh?”
Resident #6
“Mussie me and mi grand-children deh because I got bout ten ah deh because I really appreciate it.”
Andrea Polanco
“This ham is courtesy of a secret Santa; weh yuh wah tell dis Santa?”
Resident #6
“Well, I wah tell the Santa just thanks fi the ham; at least I get something and it betta than nothing. Half ah love is betta than none.”
Resident #7
“Well, I am grateful for the ham. We usually buy ham but we haven’t bought a ham yet because my husband is waiting for his bonus. But I am always grateful for helping others.”
Resident #8
“Thanks everybody and unu have wah merry Christmas because mine wah nice now.”
Andrea Polanco
“Alright. Suh tell me weh dah the plan fi dis ham?”
Resident #8
“Hmmm baste it with mustard, brown sugar, spice and cloves.”
Andrea Polanco
“How di Christmas di look otherwise – yuh ready fi it?”
Resident #
“Hmmm well ah wah see it now. This put me wah good way; one hundred percent.”
Andrea Polanco
“This wah given by a secret Santa – weh yuh wah tell ah?”
Resident #8
“Ohh thanks very much. First time I ever get something anyway, so thanks very much.”
Resident #9
“I appreciate it and I wah tell everybody a merry Christmas and prosperous new year to everybody, all Belizeans.”
Andrea Polanco
“Yuh get wah lee ham today, tell wi how yuh cook it?”
Resident #9
“Well, ah wah bake ah but that wah be before the Christmas and fi Christmas ah wah get mi other ham too.”
Andrea Polanco
“Suh dah double ham?”
Resident #9
“Double ham fi this year thanks to unu. I appreciate it, ok.”
And many other families received their free hams today thanks to visitor who likes to spread some cheer at this time of the year. He has been giving groceries and cash over the past few years, but he wants to remain nameless – so his friend ACP Broaster continues to lead the secret Santa mission.
ACP Edward Broaster
“This initiative was born out of a good friend of mine who has becoming from Houston for the past fifteen years. We are giving away hams to the needy families and with the help of you guys we tried to cooperate with you all in choosing the most needy families so that we can provide them with a ham. We just want to give Christmas cheer to those who are in need and to make their festive season a little bit more lively.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
