Every year the Christmas season is ushered in with the arrival of Santa Claus on the lawn of the Lehigh Regional Medical Center. He usually comes in on a fire truck from the Lehigh Acres Fire Dept. He jumps off the truck, wanders through the crowd and goes inside the hospital to have his photo taken with hundreds of children.

The arrival of Santa and the annual tree lighting ceremony is Saturday, Dec. 3 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

He hospital is at 1500 Lee Blvd.

Santa also assists with the turning on of the Christmas tree and lights on the lawn of the hospital along with the hospital’s CEO. The CEO this year is Joanie Jeanette.

Cayuga Music Studio, the East Lee High School Band and Chorus and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Lee County, now with a club in Lehigh, will provide holiday music.

Diann Cimring, LRMC’s marketing director, said the hospital will provide plenty of cookies and hot chocolate and the children will get a chance to sit on Santa’s knee and tell him what they want for Christmas. The event draws a large crowd each year.