From The Orange County Register
By Raymond Mendoza / Staff Writer
Tustin resident Karlos Siqueiros is a food and beverage concept development manager for Disneyland 364 days out of the year, creating lively treats based on Disney’s newest films for the amusement park.
But for one day in December, he dons a Santa Claus hat with Mickey Mouse ears to help bring Christmas joy to hospitalized children at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in the form of food and fun.
This year’s CHOC Family Holiday Party on Wednesday filled the second floor of the hospital with Disney character drawings, a 9-foot-tall gingerbread castle, therapy dogs, costumed Disney characters, games and a 38-foot yule log for the enjoyment of nearly 400 children and family members.
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Siqueiros, 54, started as a waiter at Disneyland and worked his way up over the past 30 years to his current position. He has also been a long-time participant in the company’s VoluntEARS program, Disney’s philanthropic venture in which its employees participate in community service.
“As far as volunteering goes, I’ve always had this sense that I wasn’t put here just for me,” Siqueiros said. “So what can I do to earn my keep on this planet and my goal is to leave the world in a better place than I found it.”
To accomplish his charitable aspirations, Siqueiros said he was given an amazing opportunity in 2001 when his department came up with the idea to make a 5-foot-tall gingerbread Haunted Mansion in preparation for a “Nightmare Before Christmas” theme.
Not wanting to waste the mockup, his department decided to donate the gingerbread Haunted Mansion to CHOC for a food decorating party for sick children.
The idea gathered steam and 14 original VoluntEARS not only brought the gingerbread Haunted Mansion to CHOC, but also Mickey and Minnie Mouse, balloons for decorations and hundreds of cookies.
Siqueiros said he expected to get fired for letting the event get out of hand, but instead was commended by his superiors and was told that he would need to plan far in advance if wanted to make the event a yearly tradition.
Siqueiros said the event is scheduled for the first week of December to coincide with Walt Disney’s birthday and that giving the kids a holiday celebration is heartwarming and worth the months of preparation.
Siqueiros said the party can sometimes be “gut-wrenching” because the CHOC Family Holiday Party is the last Christmas celebration some of the children will ever attend. He also said sometimes the photos taken with cast members will be used for the children’s funeral services.
“For some, this party carries them through the rest of the year,” Siqueiros said. “They take their balloons and all their different gifts that we give them and they’ll post them on their hospital walls and this is their inspiration to get them home and well-enough.”
But Siqueiros is not just a behind-the-scenes guy even after 14 years of work – he’s hands-on now more than ever.
He roams the floor at CHOC, helping sick children decorate Mickey Mouse-shaped cookies, complimenting them on their favorite Disney characters (mostly Elsa from “Frozen” this year) and offering encouragement.
“When you do something good like this, it just comes right back to you,” Siqueiros said. “You think you’re doing a favor for them and it just hits you even more, 10 times over. It’s so wonderful.”
Siqueiros said being able to bring joy to so many people on a yearly basis was something that was beyond him and that this one event was something that Walt himself would be proud of.
“It’s magic,” Siqueiros said.
Contact the writer: rmendoza@ocregister.com
