NORFOLK, Va. – A very generous local restaurant owner, Pat Manley-Smith, took over 300 Norfolk students from Title One schools to enjoy an afternoon at Dickens’ Christmas Towne this passed Tuesday.
Smith provided lunch for the children and also collected winter wear and school supplies for them to take home.
Smith is the owner of Sweet Jam Café in Norfolk and CEO of the Jake & Audrey Manley Foundation.
“I originally did these special days with Chesapeake students since my first restaurant was there” said Manley-Smith. “Sweet Jam Café has been open in Norfolk for a year now, so I wanted to give back to this community as well”.
Students ranging from pre-K to age 12 were selected from schools across the city. Dickens’ Christmas Towne offered a reading of A Christmas Carol by a representative from Slover Library, crafts, and entertainment by Dickens’ performers during their visit.
Dickens’ Christmas Towne, a magical Christmas village inside the Decker Half Moone Center, was created to provide an affordable, family-friendly holiday tradition to Hampton Roads residents. This year, in celebration of the 175th anniversary of the publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, every child visitor receives a free copy of the classic book throughout the season.
For more information on Dickens’ Christmas Towne, visit this link.
For more information on the Jake & Audrey Manley Foundation click here.
