Minions Take Day Off to Entertain at Panda Path

There was nothing despicable about it, really, when minions showed up recently to visit students at Panda Path PreK Center.

The minions delighted the three- and four-year olds, who sat on the curb outside, greeting and high-fiving the capsule-shaped characters and their leader, Gru, from the “Despicable Me” movies.

But Santa was still the star of this show, and he made his way inside behind the minions, taking a seat in his special chair to greet and to give each Panda Path student a gift. Students retreat to their classrooms where they open their gifts, which include Lego sets, toy cars, toy tea sets, building blocks and more.

Panda Path partner Seitel is the tangible force behind the annual Santa visit and this year’s minions. Seitel, a West Houston-based provider of onshore seismic data to the oil and gas industry, adopted Panda Path in 2006.

The donations come from company employees, both through straight contribution and through other means, such as raffles, said Richard Kelvin, chief technology officer at Seitel.
The minions? Kelvin said they were the brainchild of his colleague Liza Yellott, who bought the costumes for Seitel’s Halloween event and who “decided (the minions) would complement Santa,” Kelvin said.

Seitel first presented “The Cat in the Hat” at Panda Path (also Yellott’s idea, said Kelvin), which has spread to other SBISD partners performing the play at PreK centers across the district.
“Our employees really do get a lot out of our relationship with the district and with Panda Path in particular,” said Kelvin. “The district makes it easy for us to get involved.”