NEWRY — Sunday River Ski Resort slopes at South Ridge will be bristling with season spirit Sunday when 250 preregistered skiing and snowboarding Santas participate in the 11th annual Santa Sunday.

The wacky event benefits the Bethel Rotary Club‘s annual Toy Drive to provide gifts for the area’s children in need.

“Popularity for this traditional holiday event has grown over the past decade so much that registration for this year’s Santa Sunday filled up in a record-breaking 12 minutes,” resort spokeswoman Darcy Morse said Friday in a report.

Santa Sunday participants will check in between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. in the South Ridge Base Lodge, and then participate in the 11 a.m. photo shoot. They will receive one free lift ticket to use for Sunday’s event and another free lift ticket to use through Dec. 17, 2010, Morse said.

Santa Sunday participants must arrive at the South Ridge Base Lodge wearing all of the following items: one red Santa hat with a white pompom, one red Santa jacket, one pair of red Santa pants, a Santa beard, and a $10 or more cash donation for the Rotary Club’s drive.

“It’s a fantastic event and one that has grown into a much-cherished Sunday River tradition for so many of our guests,” Sunday River President Dana Bullen said.

“The visual impact of watching that many Santas skiing and snowboarding illustrates that winter has truly arrived and puts everyone in the holiday spirit,” he said.

Guests not participating are invited to watch the annual running of the Sunday River Santas from the South Ridge base area.

For more information, contact Morse at 824-5243 or dmorse@sundayriver.com.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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