It was a magical night on Sunday, November 22 for our very first Holiday Drive-In with Santa! Lots of Birmingham families gathered at the Grand River Drive-In to watch the movie Elf, take a photo with Santa, eat yummy treats, get a fabulous swag bag, and meet our sponsors.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
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Shipt launched in the summer of 2014 in the heart of the Magic City, Birmingham, AL. Founded on the mission of simplifying lives, Shipt serves members, shoppers, and communities by offering convenience and freedom. Through a user-friendly app and a local network of reliable shoppers, Shipt connects members to fresh groceries and everyday essentials. Saving time, fuel and headspace, next-hour, same day grocery delivery is quickly becoming an everyday necessity for people looking for an extra few hours and intentional food choices. Now in over 260 cities and counting, Shipt works with vetted shoppers who are able to set their own schedules and are constantly aiming to improve member experiences through a newly developed rating system. By partnering with retailers in each city, shoppers are able to move efficiently through stores. Befriending store employees and fellow shoppers has been an organic product of the process!
CO-TITLE SPONSORS
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You will receive friendly, caring treatment at Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics from our entire staff. Dr. Sema and her staff will take the time to listen to your concerns and answer any questions that you may have. Dr. Sema moves at a comfortable pace and fully explains all procedures ahead of time. Dr. Sema is a highly trained and experienced orthodontist, having earned her Masters degree in orthodontics at UAB. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. She continues her studies through yearly continuing education and she remains very active in her local and regional dental and orthodontic societies.
For over 55 years, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital has focused on delivering innovative eye care and pioneering breakthroughs in the preservation and restoration of eyesight. Our outstanding services and accomplishments include one of the few facilities in the world entirely dedicated to advancements in ophthalmology, one of only two Level 1 Ocular Trauma Centers in the United States with a 24/7 eye emergency department, only dedicated facility in Alabama specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of the eye!
The Location
The Grand River Drive-In was the perfect setting for this outdoor family Christmas event. Located in Leeds, the Grand River Drive-In has 4 screens, a snack shack, a hangout area with games and a stage, and is attached to the Grand River Outlets.
Eat and Drink
Every family got a meal voucher for a free 32 oz popcorn, candy, and drink sponsored by UAB Callahan Eye Hospital. The drive-in has a Snack Shack with great food that many people enjoyed. Some of the highlights were the pretzel fries, fried green tomatoes, and chicken sandwich with jalepeno jam!
Santa Claus
Ho ho ho! Santa Claus parked his sleigh on the stage at the drive-in! He took photos and chatted with families, and delighted kids of all ages.
Decor
The peppermint gingerbread house that surrounded Santa was provided by The Rainbow Balloon Company. These gals go above and beyond to create something that was beyond our wildest dreams. Contact them if you need something to take your event or party to the next level!
Santa Letter Writing Station
The wonderful folks at Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure set up a Santa writing station for kids to write their letters and send to Santa. Did you know that the owner of Alabama Adventure, Mrs. Pat Koch, lives in Santa Claus, Indiana and founded the Santa Claus Museum that writes kids back ‘from Santa’? We love that!
Non-Profit Partner
In order to see Santa, families brought a household cleaning item or made a monetary donation to aTeam Ministries. aTeam Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to offering spiritual, emotional, and financial support to children and their families within the pediatric cancer community. This ministry fills the gap that often exists for families that are receiving great medical care inside the walls of a hospital and the unique needs of oncology and hematology patients outside of those walls.
Giveaways
We had 2 fabulous giveaways for attendees at Holiday Drive-In with Santa. One family won 4 super passes for 2021 to Dollywood and Dollywood Splash Country by posting a photo on social media and using the hashtag #bmcholidaydrivein20. Congrats to Vanessa Elliot!
Another family won 4 one day passes to Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure. Our photographers picked 4 of their favorite photos and we had a Photo Contest to let the public vote for their favorite photo.
The Movie
Son of a Nutcracker! Families enjoyed watching the movie Elf from the comfort of their own cars. It was a family favorite!
Swag
Our fabulous swag bags were filled to the brim with fun (and much needed!) items for both kids and adults. Some of the highlights were a Shipt reusable shopping bag and mask, St. Vincent’s Hospital stadium blanket, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital kids sunglasses, Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics reusable straw, Do a Dot coloring book, Urgent Care for Children hand sanitizer, and more! The first 20 cars through the gate got a special swag item… an Aviate hat.
Special thanks to all of our sponsors!
For all of the photographs from Holiday Drive-In with Santa, check out Facebook Album 1 and Facebook Album 2.
Images from the event provided by Natasha Brooke Photography.
Images from the event provided by Melinda Jones Photography.