No tears should roll down the cheeks of children anywhere during the holiday season.

Locally, the Cherokee County Junior Women’s Club is doing its part to ensure that local kids are all smiles this Christmas, providing gifts and activities the children are sure to remember for a long time at the organization’s Breakfast with Santa event.

This year’s event will take place Dec. 5 at Southside Baptist Church from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Proceeds from the event are used to provide scholarships and add to the organization’s School Closet Fund, which provides school supplies, coats and other items, all of which goes to help less privileged students locally.

During the event, children and their parents are served pancakes, sausage and their choice of juice or milk by members of the county Junior Women’s Club. In addition, Santa Claus makes personal visits to each child present, making sure to write down every item on their wish lists.

In addition, children will be able to write letters to Santa and walk in the shadows of 8-foot tall nutcrackers and backdrops reminiscent of those found at the North Pole.

Last year marked the inaugural Breakfast with Santa, originally used as a fundraiser to help needy students in the Cherokee County School District.

“We were looking for something that would help local kids because they are our club’s primary focus,” said Candice Waters of the Cherokee County Junior Women’s Club. “While looking for ideas we ran across Breakfast for Santa and its success with other organizations; from there we decided to give it a try.”

Up to 150 tickets were sold for last year’s event. This year, things have been turned up a notch, with the organization hoping to sell between 250 to 300 tickets.

“Each member is required to sell a certain number of tickets,” Waters said. “Our goal is to be able to do this every year. We want to be able to help as many students in need as possible.”

Tickets can be purchased from any Cherokee County Junior Women’s Club member. For more information, call Bryn Turner at (864) 490-4504.