Abington's secret Santa and student elves bring joy to critically ill

Jim McCloskey, lecturer of finance at Penn State Abington, has been bringing holiday joy to terminally ill children on Christmas Eve for the past 25 years. Having spent a lonely Christmas Eve in a hospital after being wounded during the Vietnam War, McCloskey was determined to help others avoid such a fate.

Working with the Committee to Benefit the Children organization from St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia, Secret Santa McCloskey, Penn State Abington student volunteers and others deliver presents to kids with life-threatening diseases -- home from the hospital just for the magical night -- in the Philadelphia area. Not only do they bring presents to the delight of the sick children and their siblings, but they also deliver food and Christmas trees, much to the delight of the whole family.

"To see the kids' perennial smiles, well, they're magnetic," said McCloskey. "It also is a great experience for the Penn State student volunteers; they get to witness the true meaning of Christmas."

To see a local news broadcast about McCloskey and his elves on a visit in Philadelphia, go to http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7188147 online. To find out more about the Committee to Benefit the Children, go to http://www.cbckids.org/ online.

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