For the second consecutive year, Christmas and Santa came a couple of weeks early for more than 30 members of the Hazlet-Aberdeen-Matawan Therapeutic Rec Program, known locally as H.A.M. Rec Program, when the Cardinal Newman Council, Knights of Columbus, hosted a holiday party for them Dec. 9.

Each year, the council adopts a local family for Christmas, and once again designated the H.A.M. organization, one of the charities that benefits from the council’s collection for special needs drive each year.The Knights and their wives prepared the lunch for attendees. Each party-goer received a special picture frame that they put together to house their picture with Santa, the special visitor to the party. Each H.A.M. participant had their picture taken with Santa and received a gift as well. The Matawan Knights also presented Bernadette Hammond, H.A.M. program supervisor, with a donation of $750.

The day was enhanced by a magic show conducted by Gene Cosnowski,

“As Knights of Columbus, we are committed to charity and doing something like this for such a fine organization, which has positively impacted the lives of so many individuals, is reflective of the principles of what the Knights of Columbus stands for,” said Timothy Poling, Grand Knight.

H.A.M. has been providing a variety of educational and social activities for developmentally disabled residents of the three towns since 1980. Many of the participants in the program have been together since its founding.

“I am so grateful for the Knights and their wives for all they did for us today,” said Bernadette Hammond, program supervisor. “This has become a wonderful tradition and all of our members look forward to this party.”