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‘Sensory Santa’ Wins Outstanding Volunteer Team Award

May 16, 2024 — Leesburg, VA — The Arc of Loudoun’s “Sensory Santa” has been recognized with a Loudoun Cares 2023 Outstanding Volunteer Award.

For the past three years, Bobbi Desai, Tracey Kelley and Parker and Nadine Holloway have donated their time to provide hundreds of children and their families the opportunity to have a private 15-minute session with a professionally-trained Santa in a controlled, quiet, no-stress environment at The Arc of Loudoun. Bobbi, Tracy, Santa Parker, and Nadine all have full time jobs and have dedicated three days during the busy holiday season to provide these private sessions for families to cherish for years to come. And this year, they were recognized for their work with Loudoun Cares’s Volunteer Award for Team – All Ages.

Among other community leadership, Bobbi, a.k.a. Special Agent Bobbi, is a real estate agent, a member of The Arc of Loudoun’s Board of Directors, and mother of a child with disabilities. She coordinates promoting, scheduling, and running the sessions as well as providing goodie bags for those with a disability that attend.

Tracy Kelley and Bobbi Desai celebrate at the Loudoun Cares 2023 Outstanding Volunteer Award, where they and Parker and Nadine Holloway were honored for creating Sensory Santa at The Arc of Loudoun.

Tracy Kelley is an award-winning photographer and the creator of Pride & Joy Photography. Pride & Joy Photography provides a beautiful professional backdrop with lighting and amazing digital photographs of the experience for families.

Bobbi and Tracy approached The Arc of Loudoun with the idea three years ago and quickly connected with Santa Parker and Mrs. Claus—Parker and Nadine Holloway to create an amazing experience for people with disabilities and their families.

Parker Holloway was professionally trained at the world-renowned Charles W. Howard Santa School and a member of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS), and he and his wife Nadine—Mrs. Claus—donate their time to offer Sensory Santa sessions for students at The Arc of Loudoun, people with disabilities and their families as a fundraiser for The Arc of Loudoun. In 2023, on top of providing an unforgettable experience for dozens of families, they raised more than $1,750 to support The Arc of Loudoun’s work to provide a lifetime of opportunities for people with disabilities.

“One of the best parts of my business is that it allows me to support organizations and events making a difference in my local community,” Bobbi said. “Three years ago, Tracy approached me with the idea to do a Sensory Santa event as a fundraiser for The Arc of Loudoun. It is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, and I have been so blessed to be able to watch the beautiful heart-warming experiences these kids have with the most amazing Santa Claus!”

Thank you Bobbi, Tracy, Santa Parker, Nadine, and Loudoun Cares!