Holiday Windows & Adoptions - From November 21, 2008 to January 1, 2009
Location: Macy's San Francisco - Corner of Stockton & O'Farrell
The event didn't quite begin with Dame Edna, but her entrance as self-proclaimed "Edna Claus" kicked off the actual window unveiling at Macy's. In the minutes before her appearance, a group of children, three and four years old, gathered at the real Santa's chair inside Macy's San Francisco for a reading of Horton Hears a Who -- which Macy's West President R.B. Harrison introduced as one of his favorite books. The Dr. Seuss story was read by Deionte Coates, a young actor from the San Francisco Arts Education Project.
The San Francisco SPCA and Macy's Holiday Windows feature adoptable pets, with SF/SPCA volunteers nearby to answer questions about the animals and pet adoption. Last year, 277 animals were adopted as a result of the Holiday Window event -- and the SF/SPCA received $37,000 in donations.
This year, the theme -- as inaugurated at the unveiling ceremony -- is "Believe." It's a company-wide theme benefitting Make-a-Wish. For each letter to Santa placed in one of the Macy's boxes, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, up to $1 million.
The young audience at the Dr. Seuss presentation was the first group of children in San Francisco to mail these Santa letters, depositing them in a vivid red Macy's mailbox. There, the kids were greeted by a classy Dame Edna who presented the children with stuffed animals and holiday wishes.
"It's a children's day," she said, "and it's my great pleasure to be a part of it." Dame Edna also expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the San Francisco SPCA, a "wonderful organization that protects our lovely friends."
Next Page: Animals of the Holiday Windows