CEDAR FALLS - River Hills School students showed plenty of Christmas spirit Wednesday as East High School's show choir serenaded them with holiday songs.

They clapped and cheered for favorites like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Deck the Halls" and "Silent Night."

Then their Christmas spirit boiled over.

"You know what I heard? I heard the big man and his wife are very, very close," Joe Surma, of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, told the audience seated in River Hills' gym. "You know what I'm talking about: Santa Claus and his wife."

He asked the children to help the choir sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." As they did, the characters walked through the door.

Children cheered, clapped their hands and waved, calling out "Hi, Santa," as the pair made their way up the aisle. Santa then headed back to a rocking chair where the children could sit on his lap and get their picture taken.

The event, sponsored by the Covenant Foundation, has brought a holiday party complete with a pizza lunch to River Hills for the past five years. The school, which is operated by Area Education Agency 267, serves more than 140 people from birth to 21 with moderate, severe and profound developmental disabilities.

"The reason that we do it is because Variety gives a lot of pediatric gifts to the hospital," said Heather Bremer-Miller, the foundation's executive director. Variety is a children's charity that operates across Iowa. That has included grants that helped Covenant Medical Center renovate its pediatric unit.

"They've given grants to the hospital for numerous years, and this is a way to give back," she added. "It's a great partnership."

Six-year-old Anthony Wright of Cedar Falls, who has cerebral palsy, participated in Lunch with Santa for the first time Wednesday along with his parents.

"He loves Christmas," said his dad, Cary Wright.

"Just like it is for any kid," added his mom, Leann Carroll. Anthony doesn't speak, but "he'll let you know when he's mad, and he'll let you know when something's funny," she said.

Anthony started in September at the school, where he's been learning the movements of walking and how to put more weight on his legs. And he's seen some success, taking up to 30 steps at a time after working with teacher Heather Kruger.

"He never walked before he came here," said Wright. Carroll added that Anthony has made "great progress" in controlling his head, which he holds up with a lot of effort.

Anthony sat on Santa's lap and got a snowman painted on his cheek during the party.

After they finished singing, the East High students sat at tables to help the children color or painted their cheeks.

"It was very exciting," said sophomore Alyssa Thompson as the students took a lunch break.

"I like doing things with the kids," said Heather Schmitz, another sophomore.

"I like seeing their little faces light up," added Thompson.

Caryn Cowger, a special education consultant at the school, appreciated both the way the event brought others into the school and how the children reacted.

"The anticipation of seeing Santa and Mrs. Claus, the students just beam," she said. "It's just really neat to see the community help celebrate the season with kids with special needs."

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.