One of the most fun events of the 09/10 snow season will happen on Sunday, December 6, 2009. It’s the 10th Annual Santa Sunday at Sunday River (800-543-2SKI) in Newry, Maine, when 250 Santa-suit clad skiers and riders take to the slopes at once. My personal favorites are the Santas on Telemark gear—there’s something particularly charming about watching Santa  genuflect gracefully down a snowy slope. . . .

Sunday River has been the only Northeast resort in continuous operation this season.  If you haven’t visited yet, Santa Sunday is a great excuse. It’s fun whether you participate, or just take your enjoyment from the spectacle of so many Santas on the slopes while you ski or ride.

Here’s how it works: the first 250 folks who pre-register on line  starting Sunday, November 29 at noon, and who then show up and re-register in person on December 6 between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m., dressed in full Santa regalia (red suit, beard, hat with white pom-pom). In the spirit of Christmas each Santa must then make a $10 (or more, hopefully a lot more!) donation to the Bethel Rotary Club’s fund which provides gifts for needy children. For that, the Santas get a FREE lift ticket.

That ticket is good only until 11 a.m. At that hour, all sliding Santas must show up for a group photograph and a phot-op mass Santa start on the Broadway Trail at the South Ridge base. All the sliding Santas then get a lift ticket good for the rest of that day and two additional lift tickets valid through December 18, 2009.  Surely Santa can afford to give a good cause  more than a measly $10 for three FREE lift tickets.

Remember, there are only 250 Santa slots to fill, and you must pre-register. Remember, too, that you don’t have to be in Santa gear to make the charity donation.  I’ve been to Santa Sunday a couple of times and I can  tell you: if the sight of so many Santas on the slopes doesn’t make you smile, you’re definitely a Grinch with a heart (and probably underwear . . .) that’s two sizes too small.