New Haven Independent

“I’m still waiting for my pony,” said Shannon Sullivan (left) of Southern California, who studies Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama.

Sullivan said a pony has been on her Christmas list since she was 6. A real pony. So far she has received only a stuffed one.

Sullivan made one more pony request face to face with the Santa when he showed up at the Yale Bookstore Saturday. Santa will return to the bookstore every Saturday evening until Christmas for New Haven’s first Window Wonderland. He’ll take pictures in exchange for for the donations to New Haven Reads, which runs tutoring programs on Ashmun Street.

Sydney Sparks, an 8-year-old third grader from Hamden said she wants a cookbook, crazy-socks, and a passport.

“I just want a passport so I can travel,” said Sparks (left in photo ) after her talk with Santa.

When asked where she would travel, Sparks said, “That’s a hard question, there’s so many different places.”

She said learning French in school has “sort of” made her want to travel to France. But she has several other places she wants to visit first.

“Mexico, Canada, South Africa — Johannesburg and Capetown,” she said.

Sparks also asked Santa for a Nintendo Wii game system. “That’s not happening,” informer her her mom, Robin Sparks.

Others weren’t so public with their requests. Ava Larco,6, said Christmas wishes are a secret. Her mom reassured Santa they would get back to him.

“We’re gonna write a letter to you tomorrow, right Ava,” her mom Maureen Larco (pictured left with family) told Santa.

Others stopped by just to hang out with Santa on their way to other places. Four young men, all 16, hung out and took pictures with Santa. They didn’t have a book, so they gave a donation.

Geoffrey Saunders, Tyler Holder, Jake Bardos and Steven Forcier (all pictured ) said they were “killing time” waiting for a concert to start, so they figured they would hang out with Santa.

Yale’s blue-collar union, Local 35 of the Federation of Hospital and University Employees, donated $1,000 as part of the event. Local 35 President Bob Proto (in photo below with O’Connell and Santa) said his union donated the money and left the “book shopping spree” up to Brittney Lipsett and other members of the Broadway Merchants Association, who helped coordinate the event.

“We’re going to have well over 100 books [from Local 35], so we’re excited,” said Lipsett. “One hundred kids get a free picture with Santa.”

Jayme Vele (in photo) was processing the pictures. She said she’s happy to see people of all ages coming to visit Santa because it reminds her of the Polar Express.

“Seeing older kids makes me still believe,” said Vele.