Holiday with the Patriots

Tom Brady was among the Pats who showed up for the 16th annual Salvation Army and New England Patriots Children's Holiday party at Gillette Stadium last night. The injured QB signed autographs while fellow players Stephen Gostkowski, Matt Gutierrez, Richard Seymour, Kevin O'Connell, Matthew Slater, Brandon Meriweather, Mike Wright, and others allowed teams of kids to wrap them into giant presents in the "Wrap-A-Pat" race. More than 200 needy kids also got to play games with the players, talk to Santa, and take home presents.

Maria Menounos was back in Medford recently, filming a special "hometown" segment that aired on "Access Hollywood." The celeb reporter kicked things off at her aunt's hair salon in Everett - where she was greeted by her family - and then moved on to her old Paris Street home, Medford High School, the Dunkin' Donuts where she worked as a teen, alma mater Emerson College, the mayor's office (where she scored the key to the city), and her church, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church. "Sunday school, Greek school, Greek dancing - that's where I learned to produce and learned my public speaking." Menounos noted that climbing the entertainment industry ladder is tough but admitted, "I'm a workaholic." Though she misses her family, work will soon bring her home: She plans to produce and shoot the comedy "Serial Buddies" here.

Michael Phelps has been out and about in Boston - first taking in a Celtics game Monday night (right, where he got a special shout-out), then shooting a commercial (far right) for Subway at the BU pool yesterday. The Olympic multi-medalist was joined by Subway spokesman Jared Fogle, who was recovering from a little boating accident in the Caribbean. "He was in a bit of pain, but he's here like a champ," said spokesman Mack Bridenbaker. Champion eater Phelps, who recently told Stephen Colbert that he's a wee bit out-of-shape right now, reportedly had no problem handling the meatball marinara subs in the shoot. He and Fogle also got to meet Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen at the Garden, by the way.

It was like "Where's Waldo?" in Boston yesterday, but sub in Despereaux, star of the kiddie flick "The Tale of Despereaux," which opens Friday. The giant cartoon-like mouse (gamely played by Kim Smith, below) first visited with Boston Ballet's Nutcracker Mouse King at the Opera House, and then hung with kids at the Martha Eliot Health Center, the holiday village in Downtown Crossing, the AMC Boston Common theater, Frog Pond, and the Harvard Coop.

Former world champion tennis player Jim Courier (above, with Rachel Yee, 11, of Brighton) gave pointers to kids in the Tenacity tennis program at the Harvard Murr Center yesterday. He also announced the fourth annual Champions Cup Boston, which will bring tennis stars Anna Kournikova, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, and Courier to BU's Agganis Arena on Feb. 13.

Cooking Vacations owner Lauren Birmingham is planning a romantic summer wedding for the Amalfi Coast near Positano, her Italian base of operations. The veteran publicist, who currently reps Kowloon, will wed Rino Piscitelli. . . . Patriots linebacker Junior Seau grabbed a drink at Sonsie the other day, and Red Sox wife Yuka Okajima just got a giant Exotic Flowers birthday bouquet from hubby Hideki Okajima.

A throng of VIPs were expected at the opening of the CoCo Key Water Resort in Fitchburg last night including Sox pitcher Manny Delcarmen, Bruins stars Derek Sanderson and Lyndon Byers, the Pats' Max Lane, the Andelman Brothers of "Phantom Gourmet," and "Survivor Borneo" reality star Gervase Peterson, along with Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong.

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