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Santa’s cousin, Pancho Clos, coming to town with presents for kids

Sunday, December 13, 2009
Santa’s sombrero- and serape-wearing cousin from the south, Pancho Clos, will be in Lubbock, USA,  with a bag full of goodies for area boys and girls.

Pancho will visit with children and their families from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 20 during a free event at the Maggie Trejo Super Center, according to a glimpse at Pancho’s schedule provided by the city of Lubbock.

The jolly man will travel all the way from his home at the South Pole to hand out gift bags of fruit and candy for children with assistance from his compaeros – helpers – said Gee Garza, who has worked with Pancho Clos for most of the magical man’s 38-year-tradition in Lubbock.

“He goes through Mexico and comes up as far as Lubbock,” he said. “He’ll ask them what they want for Christmas and he’ll tell Santa Claus what they want.”

Garza said Pancho Clos is expected to enter the city in authentic Southwestern style.

“Instead of reindeer, he has burritos … donkeys… to pull his wagon,” he said of the burritos who have such names as Lupito and Panchito.

All children and families are invited to attend. As many as 1,000 children are expected to visit Pancho if the weather is good, Garza said.

Children can expect to see Pancho Clos, who moved to the South Pole after growing up with Santa Claus at the North Pole, wearing his traditional outfit – a sparkling red sombrero, a multi-colored serape and the typical red-and-white Santa Claus-style suit, Garza said.

The Pancho Clos project is sponsored by the American G.I. Forum, a veterans’ nonprofit organization, said Robert Narvaiz, Pancho’s spokesman.

He said this year’s Pancho Clos project is dedicated to three late G.I. Forum members who helped create Pancho Clos – Bidal Aguero, Gus Medina and Jesse Reyes.