LETTER: Christmas Cheer lands the Sault on Santa’s nice list

SooToday received the following letter from Santa Claus on his pride for this year’s Christmas Cheer program in Sault Ste. Marie.

I recently attended a meeting with some of the senior elves who help run the Christmas Cheer program in Sault Ste. Marie. I must say that much of what I learned about this program, which I understand has been running for over 65 years, surprised me.

This year, the elves of SSM Christmas Cheer packed and delivered Christmas packages to 5,177 people. This included the resources to provide 2,115 families with a Christmas meal.

The elves were quick to point out that none of this would have been remotely possible without the ongoing support of many organizations and individuals.

The program starts in early November when a dedicated team of elves begin by taking applications. Once an application has been received and approved, it is then forwarded to the packer elves who make sure the packages are personalized as much as possible.

Financial support through the Sault Santa Fund is also critical to the program’s success. This year, Brunella Gagliardi and her team of volunteers working on behalf of the Sault Star Santa Fund collected $128,000 for Christmas Cheer.

The elves wanted me to recognize the importance of having the space to package toys that were generously donated by the Station Mall.

Delivery day would not have been possible without the aid of two more critical groups:

• The delivery teams that took the packages from the main depot to the sub-depots, including the Army Reserve Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Sault Ste. Marie Professional Firefighters Association, and Harvest Algoma.
   
• The many sub-depots (from Bruce Mines to Batchawana) that were located in schools, churches and service organizations) and staffed by volunteer groups, which are needed to ensure that the packages are delivered.

I was very pleased to hear that Jill Raycroft, who has been an integral part of Christmas Cheer for some 40 years, returned this year after a one-year sabbatical.

Congratulations to Sault Ste. Marie for over 65 years of supporting Christmas Cheer. Be assured you are on my Nice List.

As ever,

Santa