Helping Santa Deliver

Photo Credit: Diane Piefer

When Santa needs help providing gifts and food, he knows that in Elk Point he can rely on Santas Anonymous (SA), which isn’t just a small group that coordinates the giving, it’s all the generous donors who buy extra food bags at the CoOp, bring groceries to school, deposit gifts in the boxes around town, purchase a space on the Christmas Card board, fill bags of toys at their staff parties, or share their time sorting and wrapping.

The good news is, the total number of hampers required was down by 10% from last year, to 45. Also, there were fewer children registered. However, an increase was shown in the number of food hampers (without gifts), which totaled seventeen. Everyone who was eligible for hampers received a turkey, milk, oranges, carrots, potatoes, and boxes filled with non-perishable foods to get them through the Christmas season.

Generous community members donated over $300 to the Christmas Card, purchased more than 200 “Good Buy to Hunger” bags at the CoOp, and provided bins and bins of toys. The Community Lions contributed toques and gloves for everyone under 18, and warm hoodies for the teenagers, to ensure that nobody would be cold this winter.

Wanda Cochrane, owner of Wanda Lynn’s Body Shoppe, pulled together luxurious personal pampering items which were given to moms in need.

Santas Anonymous is run by the Community Lions of Elk Point, who would like to thank the following for their support: Order of the Royal Purple, Hahn Welding, Elk Point Insurance, JPD Enterprises, Teresa McNamara, Melanie McRae, Rona, Servus Credit Union, Wanda Lynn’s, County of St. Paul and Town of Elk Point FCSS, Cornerstone Co-Op, Elk Point Truss Limited, E-Can Oilfield Services, Lakeland Realty, Hurl Family, Karbashewski Family, St. Michael’s Parish, FG Miller Jr/Sr High School, Elk Point Elementary School, Signature Collision & Repair, Northern Lights Library Services, Country 99 Radio Station (Christina) Bonnyville, Canadian Natural Resources.

Santas Anonymous also appreciates the help of the following for wrapping presents and sorting food:

4-H Beef Club, Dusty & Charly Frisby, Darianna Boorse, Linda Dorey, Zoe Ainsworth, Amy Bullock, Carolyn Onusko, Theresa McNamara, and the members of the Community Lions of Elk Point.