LAPLACE – LaPlace Equipment Company owner Trip Oubre has never been a Christmas person. And yet, he was dressed in Grinch pajamas Saturday afternoon as he introduced families in need to Santa Claus and helped deliver an unforgettable Christmas experience.

It all started last year when he needed to buy some parts for work. A friend told him about a place across the lake where he could find the right parts at a reasonable price. Once he arrived, Trip saw people much less fortunate than him shuffling through damaged goods at a second hand store.

“I may not have the most money in the world, but I realized I was doing better than some others,” Trip said. “I decided that I needed to do something for the kids.”

The Inaugural LaPlace Equipment Company Christmas event reached 29 children in 2018. This year, that number increased to 45 children and their families. A team of dedicated volunteers served jambalaya, chicken, snacks and cookies to all in attendance. After everyone was done eating, chairs were re-arranged into a makeshift theater featuring “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on a large inflatable screen.

Before the show started, children heard a re-telling of The Cajun Night Before Christmas and got a visit from Oliver the Christmas pup. The real magic happened when Santa arrived on scene, bells jingling as children cheered his name. One by one, the families were escorted to a private room to meet Santa and receive a box full of beautifully wrapped, brand new Christmas gifts.

The gifts totaled $100 per child, and each present was tailored to the individual child, according to Trip’s wife, Stephanie Oubre.

“We have everything from clothing to hoverboards to karaoke machines and baby dolls,” Oubre said. “We had a list of what sizes they wear, what they wanted, and what they needed.”

Some of the families only requested clothing, showing how great their needs were this winter season. In those cases, the LaPlace Equipment Company team called the family again and asked about the children’s interests so they could receive both the clothes they needed and the toys they wanted.

“I feel it’s important to give back,” Stephanie said. “I feel very blessed with what we have, and we feel it’s important to spread the wealth to those who are less fortunate than us. They’re very excited, very thankful, appreciative and grateful that we are doing this for them. Otherwise, they would not be able to provide what we are providing today.”

Analicia Schexnayder attended the event at LaPlace Equipment Company with her four young children, her mother, and her child’s nurse. She immediately felt welcomed as her family sat down to enjoy a hot meal. After seeing the gifts and the sheer excitement on her children’s faces, she was almost at a loss for words. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she repeated to the volunteers who made it possible.

The kind acts she saw on Saturday brightened her spirit.

“It re-instills that belief, lets a child be a child and gives them something to look forward to,” Schexnayder said. “In some households, it’s kind of hard. Days like this just re-instills that there are good people in the world. It gives us all something to be hopeful about.”

The event saw participation from St. John United Way, the St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parish sheriff’s offices, Louisiana State Police, and many LaPlace Equipment Company employees, vendors and customers, according to Trip.

LaPlace Equipment Company employee Nancy Leblanc said there was more community involvement this year, and she expects the event will continue to grow.

“It was kind of a last minute thing last year,” she said. “This year, we had more time to prepare because it was so fulfilling last year. It’s something we’ll do every year, and I just think it’s wonderful. I’ve never been a part of something like this, and it’s wonderful to be able to participate.”

The children at the event were respectful and well behaved, according to Leblanc. Their soft-spoken “yes, ma’ams” and “no, thank yous” turned to unbridled excitement when they saw Santa Claus and the stack of toys selected just for them.

Located at 167 Jaubert Lane, LaPlace Equipment Company is a full-service rental and sales company that provides equipment and tooling support for the water blast contracting industry. For more information about the company or the Christmas initiative, please call 985-652-5210.