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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
Biologist dresses up as jolly old elf for dip with aquarium's critters
By John C. EnsslinDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
T'was the week before Christmas In a tank deep and dark When the kids at Ocean Journey Saw Santa swim with the sharks. Biologist Gregg Harris is not your typical Santa Claus. He lacks the ballast, for one. Harris weighs about 150 pounds soaking wet. Well, that's if you don't count his scuba gear and the aluminum tank strapped to his back. On Tuesday, however, Harris donned his costume and took the plunge where no Santa has gone before, into the shark exhibit at Ocean Journey. "I call myself 'Santa Jaws,"' he joked. "It was fun. It was good to see the expressions on the kids' faces." Harris was the first of a series of divers who will be exploring the aquatic side of St. Nick at 10:30 a.m. daily through Sunday inside the depths of the aquarium's Pacific exhibit. Since the aquarium opened 21/2 years ago, Harris had dived into the exhibit about once a month to check on the sharks and their environment. So it was Harris who dived in to see how the sharks would react to a guy in a big red suit. A co-worker stood by, ready to dive in at the first sign of trouble. After all, the last thing the aquarium wanted to see was Santa torn to shreds. But the fish treated him just like any other guy dressed like Santa Claus. "Several of the tiger sharks came a little closer to check out my beard," Harris said. "But they didn't bother me at all." To entice people into the aquarium this season, Ocean Journey is offering a $5 discount coupon to anyone who visits the Web site at www.oceanjourney.org. The coupon is good for $5 off a single admission through Dec. 30th. December 20, 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
T'was the week before Christmas
In a tank deep and dark
When the kids at Ocean Journey
Saw Santa swim with the sharks.
Biologist Gregg Harris is not your typical Santa Claus.
He lacks the ballast, for one. Harris weighs about 150 pounds soaking wet. Well, that's if you don't count his scuba gear and the aluminum tank strapped to his back.
On Tuesday, however, Harris donned his costume and took the plunge where no Santa has gone before, into the shark exhibit at Ocean Journey.
"I call myself 'Santa Jaws,"' he joked.
"It was fun. It was good to see the expressions on the kids' faces."
Harris was the first of a series of divers who will be exploring the aquatic side of St. Nick at 10:30 a.m. daily through Sunday inside the depths of the aquarium's Pacific exhibit.
Since the aquarium opened 21/2 years ago, Harris had dived into the exhibit about once a month to check on the sharks and their environment.
So it was Harris who dived in to see how the sharks would react to a guy in a big red suit.
A co-worker stood by, ready to dive in at the first sign of trouble. After all, the last thing the aquarium wanted to see was Santa torn to shreds.
But the fish treated him just like any other guy dressed like Santa Claus.
"Several of the tiger sharks came a little closer to check out my beard," Harris said. "But they didn't bother me at all."
To entice people into the aquarium this season, Ocean Journey is offering a $5 discount coupon to anyone who visits the Web site at www.oceanjourney.org.
The coupon is good for $5 off a single admission through Dec. 30th.
December 20, 2000
