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Santa Pays Visit To Kids At La Rabida Hospital For 44th Year

CHICAGO (CBS) --- For more than four decades, Santa has paid a visit to the kids at La Rabida Children's Hospital on Chicago's South Side and he was there again today.

WBBM's Mike Krauser reports firefighters from Engine Company carried on a long Christmas tradition and delivered Santa Claus to La Rabida.

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Paul Mesirow played the role of Santa Claus. For 44 years, he has visited the kids and gone room to room delivering gifts.

"A good friend of mine who used to be the medical director here years ago said Santa coming gives his kids a boost that medicine sometimes can't do and that is why I keep coming back here year after year because I promised them a long time ago that as long as there are kids in the hospital on Christmas I will be here," Mesirow said.

Firefighter Jim Blake of Engine Company 63 helped transport Santa to the hospital.

"Just to see the kids' faces, to see Santa come, it's enjoyable for us too," he said.

La Rabida CEO Brenda Wolfe said it means a lot to the kids and the families.

"Having a child hospitalized at Christmas…can't think of anything much worse than that," she said.

Wolfe said donors make it possible.

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