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'Thank God there was a door' A different holiday feast A safe harbor for stormy lives A slice of tradition Animals love human volunteers Bean Project changes lives City flips the switch on holiday lights City Red Cross chapter helps victims of 300 blazes yearly Cops continue crusade for needy kids Dental clinic for kids delivers smiles Denver Partners find joy in mentoring Determination helps single mom Family lights up mom with ride in style Feast gives poor a meal fit for king Gift-wrapping as art Green thumbs, warm hearts help harvest hope for needy Have a ball Homeless critters need Christmas, too Kids Cafes serve up sustenance Kwanzaa events to honor black unity, heritage Last-minute gifts Light stock Lights, music, action Little white ball leads teen to turnaround Mentors help teens excel in school, life Musician strikes chord with mentors Once-homeless teen opens door Panic Eve Parade winners Project Angel Heart's meals a blessing to Denver's sick Rally, menorah lightings mark onset of Hanukkah Rape awareness program also emphasizes prevention Reach out by reading aloud to kids Recipient: Samaritan House help 'a miracle' Salvation Army long has helped the needy, especially at yule Santa swims with sharks at Ocean Journey School's goal is personal growth Show your cards Shows you can't beat Silver jubilee Ski resorts get gift of white stuff Some holiday lights worth checking out Specialist helps keep Indians in class Spirit of Christmas flickers in northwest Denver neighborhood Stocking up Students communicate, learn through dance moves Sungate helps abused kids survive confusion and pain Union Station set aglow Youngsters get sign from a special Santa Claus
'Thank God there was a door'
A different holiday feast
A safe harbor for stormy lives
A slice of tradition
Animals love human volunteers
Bean Project changes lives
City flips the switch on holiday lights
City Red Cross chapter helps victims of 300 blazes yearly
Cops continue crusade for needy kids
Dental clinic for kids delivers smiles
Denver Partners find joy in mentoring
Determination helps single mom
Family lights up mom with ride in style
Feast gives poor a meal fit for king
Gift-wrapping as art
Green thumbs, warm hearts help harvest hope for needy
Have a ball
Homeless critters need Christmas, too
Kids Cafes serve up sustenance
Kwanzaa events to honor black unity, heritage
Last-minute gifts
Light stock
Lights, music, action
Little white ball leads teen to turnaround
Mentors help teens excel in school, life
Musician strikes chord with mentors
Once-homeless teen opens door
Panic Eve
Parade winners
Project Angel Heart's meals a blessing to Denver's sick
Rally, menorah lightings mark onset of Hanukkah
Rape awareness program also emphasizes prevention
Reach out by reading aloud to kids
Recipient: Samaritan House help 'a miracle'
Salvation Army long has helped the needy, especially at yule
Santa swims with sharks at Ocean Journey
School's goal is personal growth
Show your cards
Shows you can't beat
Silver jubilee
Ski resorts get gift of white stuff
Some holiday lights worth checking out
Specialist helps keep Indians in class
Spirit of Christmas flickers in northwest Denver neighborhood
Stocking up
Students communicate, learn through dance moves
Sungate helps abused kids survive confusion and pain
Union Station set aglow
Youngsters get sign from a special Santa Claus
By Hector GutierrezDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
The one thing that deaf children have never asked Santa for Christmas is to be able to speak and hear. One girl Tuesday asked Sign Language Santa Claus for peace and for all families to be together, the second year in a row she made the request. The only material gifts she asked for were a scooter and a doll. "She was very unselfish," signing Santa, Barry Howery, said afterward. " I told her, 'You're an amazing girl. Santa really appreciates you because that's what the world needs."' A couple of youngsters asked for radios "so they can listen to 'N Sync," signing Santa said. "They can listen to vibrations." Santa even used his sign language skills to try to communicate with an infant. She didn't cry so Howery thinks he reached her. About 180 hearing impaired children, from metro area pre-schools to high schools, came to the Cherry Creek shopping center to sit on Santa's lap, exchange pleasantries and ask the jolly old fellow for an assortment of gifts. Howery has played Sign Language Santa at Cherry Creek since 1993. "They are just like everybody else," and have grown to live with their disabilities, Howery said. This year, Howery gave up the fake, huge beard and mustache. Instead, he took three months to grow his own. The beard might not have been as large as his artificial one, but his Santa's whiskers were authentic. Besides, Howery said, the only reference children have made to hearing and speech impairment was that they would prefer Santa to trim his fluffy white mustache and beard. That way, they could read his lips. As far as the children were concerned, Santa arrived from the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, played by Howery's wife, Carolyn, and his reindeer and sleigh were parked on the roof of the mall. One child said three words and stared at Santa for several minutes as if to inspect him. "All through the years, when you look at life and society, it seems to be getting worse, and they have a belief system that's phenomenal," said Howery, who began learning sign language in 1974 to become a preacher for his church's deaf congregation. "It's a thrill for me to do it." December 13, 2000 NewsWeatherOpinionNationWorldSci/TechDeaths BusinessStocks Bank Rates SportsBroncosAvalancheNuggetsRockiesCollegeRockyPreps RecreationSnow Rept.HikingBikingFishingGolfCalendarDentry EntertainmentMoviesDiningMusicOn StageBooksTV Living Comics Health Food Home & Garden Family Travel Cookbook Births Weddings Crossword ClassifiedPlace an adAutoCareersHomes User Agreement / Privacy Statement © Copyright, Denver Publishing Co.Subscribe to the NewsQuestions? Comments? Talk to Us
The one thing that deaf children have never asked Santa for Christmas is to be able to speak and hear.
One girl Tuesday asked Sign Language Santa Claus for peace and for all families to be together, the second year in a row she made the request.
The only material gifts she asked for were a scooter and a doll.
"She was very unselfish," signing Santa, Barry Howery, said afterward. " I told her, 'You're an amazing girl. Santa really appreciates you because that's what the world needs."'
A couple of youngsters asked for radios "so they can listen to 'N Sync," signing Santa said. "They can listen to vibrations."
Santa even used his sign language skills to try to communicate with an infant. She didn't cry so Howery thinks he reached her.
About 180 hearing impaired children, from metro area pre-schools to high schools, came to the Cherry Creek shopping center to sit on Santa's lap, exchange pleasantries and ask the jolly old fellow for an assortment of gifts.
Howery has played Sign Language Santa at Cherry Creek since 1993.
"They are just like everybody else," and have grown to live with their disabilities, Howery said.
This year, Howery gave up the fake, huge beard and mustache. Instead, he took three months to grow his own. The beard might not have been as large as his artificial one, but his Santa's whiskers were authentic.
Besides, Howery said, the only reference children have made to hearing and speech impairment was that they would prefer Santa to trim his fluffy white mustache and beard. That way, they could read his lips.
As far as the children were concerned, Santa arrived from the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, played by Howery's wife, Carolyn, and his reindeer and sleigh were parked on the roof of the mall.
One child said three words and stared at Santa for several minutes as if to inspect him.
"All through the years, when you look at life and society, it seems to be getting worse, and they have a belief system that's phenomenal," said Howery, who began learning sign language in 1974 to become a preacher for his church's deaf congregation.
"It's a thrill for me to do it."
December 13, 2000
