Santa Claus visited with children who have hearing impairments to find out what they want for Christmas during an event Friday at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World.
Santa communicated with the more than 100 kids using sign language. Linda Cheek is president and co-founder of the Deaf Awareness Group of Southwest Missouri, which organized the event.
"It's really, really good for the kids to get to sign to Santa what they want for Christmas. Their faces just light up that someone understands them," she said.
Erica Zavalla brought her two sons who both have cochlear implants, to Bass Pro. She says she looks forward to coming.
"They're able to be around people that are just like them, and they can have a good time seeing a Santa that knows how to translate their language also," she said.
Her 13-year-old son, Payton, came to hang out with his friend who was also at the event. Her nine-year-old son, Preston, explained why he was excited about seeing Santa.
"So I could tell for Christmas," he said, "for presents."
He asked Santa for Nintendo DS games.
Every child who visited with Santa got to take home a photo of themselves with the jolly old elf.
