Aurora Lions Club held its 18th annual yule party for deaf and hearing impaired students, caregivers and educators from East and West Aurora public schools Tuesday evening, December 9.
The party took place at East Aurora School District 131’s recreation center in Aurora. Attendees included about 100 students and caregivers, educators, 15 Aurora Lions volunteers, and five students from Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy.
In addition to a pizza dinner, guests received gift bags and raffle giveaways.
The event featured American Sign Language chats with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Keith and Shelley Strnad of Oswego, teachers of deaf and hearing-impaired students in Oswego schools. For a fourth year, the Strnads returned to portray Santa and Mrs. Claus at the event.
Shelley Strnad teaches the hearing-impaired in third, fourth, and fifth grades at Prairie Point Elementary School, while her husband works in the same capacity with sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders at Traughber Middle School. Keith Strnad said he has worked as a signing Santa for 20 years.
—Al Benson