Richmond teen helps ring in the Christmas spirit for Salvation Army

Nov. 26—SWANZEY — Landon Nash was feeling festive for Christmas early this year when he became Santa Claus for a couple evenings this past week.

Dressed just like St. Nick, Landon, 14, of Richmond, was posted at an entryway to Market Basket in Swanzey, where his father, Greg, works. Landon collected donations for The Salvation Army of Keene in one of the organization's signature red kettles, ringing a bell and handing out candy canes. His mother, Anita, was with him and said it was all in the spirit of giving back.

"The big thing for Landon was when I showed him stuff about The Salvation Army, he wanted to donate [his time] as a bell-ringer because he wanted kids to have a Christmas," Anita said inside the supermarket after the two wrapped up Wednesday night. "Christmas is his favorite time of year, and he didn't want any kid to not have something."

For Landon, she said, it's a way to celebrate the season of giving when others have regularly given him support throughout his life. The middle-schooler, who attends Monadnock Regional Middle/High School in Swanzey Center, was born with CHARGE syndrome, a genetic syndrome in one in 10,000-15,000 live births, according to the Illinois-based CHARGE Syndrome Foundation.

CHARGE stands for "coloboma of the eye, heart defects, atresia of the choanae, restriction of growth and development and ear abnormalities and deafness," a combination of the effects originally used in diagnosing the syndrome when it was given a name in 1981, the foundation's website says.

"He has quite a bit of what CHARGE is but he's gone above and beyond what [doctors] thought he would do," said Anita, who spoke for her son as he's nonverbal. "He's got the best care team ever in Boston, and we do all appointments down there and try to coordinate as much as possible; but, he's defeated everything we were told would happen."

The Sentinel previously reported on Landon in 2016 at age 8 when Make-A-Wish New Hampshire granted him and his family the opportunity to take a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

In the time since the vacation, Anita, a medical support assistant for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction, Vt., said Landon has undergone medical treatments that reduce the number of visits the family must make to Boston. And she said that during the pandemic period when he had to attend school remotely, he pressed on despite the resulting social difficulties.

"He had his [tracheostomy tube] removed when he was 10, and on a health standpoint he's doing really well," she said. "He's an 8th-grader at Monadnock and he loves [his paraprofessionals]."

And The Salvation Army has been proud to welcome Landon among their local bell-ringers this year. David LaBossiere, corps officer of The Salvation Army of Keene, called him the "happiest guy" the Army could have as a volunteer.

"It was cold here on Monday night and that did not seem to bother him," LaBossiere said Wednesday night before helping Landon and Anita pack up. "They were happy to leave when it was time, but he was just so excited to get out and do a little bit of dancing and rang the bells and made everyone smile."

The Salvation Army is a charity organization founded in London in 1865, and its website describes it as an international movement and evangelical Christian church. The Keene Corps of The Salvation Army was founded in 1990, and LaBossiere was appointed one of two lieutenants for the local organization in 2020.

"We do some food pantry services and a lot of rent and utilities assistance," LaBossiere said. "We also have a big Christmas toy program, which we're in the middle of the collecting phase of. We're trying to just help anyone who's in need; anyone that asks us for something we do the best of our ability. The money we raise through red kettles goes to support that."

The Keene Corps has a donation goal of $30,000 this Christmas season, LaBossiere said, estimating Wednesday that Landon's efforts helped raise about $200 from his two nights volunteering this past week. He said overall the organization has 10 to 12 volunteers helping on a regular basis.

"I will always take on volunteers whether that's for a day or a couple hours a week," LaBossiere said. "We could almost always use more help."

Anita said Landon wants to continue helping once a week over the next month, bell-ringing for donations and shopping for The Salvation Army to help its toy drive.

She said she's looking forward to celebrating Christmas with him, with traditions including a countdown the two share. This involves a daily gift, Anita explained, rather than a traditional advent calendar of chocolates.

"You're the best blessing of my life," Anita told Landon, pulling him in for a hug. "When I wake up I'm grateful for you every day because you're my child."

Those interested in volunteering for The Salvation Army can complete a form at https://easternusa.salvationarmy.org/northern-new-england/keene/volunteer/.

Trisha Nail can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or tnail@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter at @byTrishaNail.