—Santas Spread Joy and Good Spirit at “Happy Town” on Yeongheung Island

On Christmas Eve, a group of twenty-eight Yonsei students dressed as Santa Claus visited the Happy Town facility for the intellectually disabled on Yeongheung Island near Incheon. The student Santas provided an evening of entertainment for the Happy Town residents, with events such as a K-pop dance exhibition and comedy show. Christmas presents were also given to the grateful audience members, which added to the joy and good spirit of the evening. 

Organized by the Yonsei Community Volunteer Service Center, this was the fourth year the Christmas Eve event has been held. It has proved to be a very popular volunteer activity among Yonsei students; this year, it took less than two days for the list of volunteers to be filled.  

Happy Town is a special living facility designed for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The center first opened in 2008, and it currently hosts thirty-nine residents.  The Yonsei Santas were particularly welcome, as the residents receive few visitors apart from social workers, physical therapists, and mental health professionals. According to one of the Yonsei volunteers, Electronic Engineering student Lee Jung-ho, “The event helped me to get rid of my prejudices regarding special people. When they welcomed us and enjoyed our performances, I was very touched.”