He’s making a list; he’s checking it twice; he’s going to find out all the kids in Northwest Indiana are nice!
Children in the area writing letters to Santa this year are sure to be in for a treat thanks to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana. The Club is hosting its fourth annual Christmas to Remember event on Thursday December 9, and through this event, it’s working to fulfill the holiday wish list of many children in the area.
Ten Clubs will come together at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center in Merrillville for presents, fun, and to give kids a night they will remember for years to come.
“They get to open their gifts, meet Santa, have pizza and cookies, and then meet some local heroes. It's a pretty impactful night watching these kids get their gifts since they might get only one gift at home,” said Stephanie Letic, director of marketing for the Clubs.
Before the event begins, children will write a letter to Santa to help give the Club ideas of what to buy for them. The child’s parents will then fill out a form with specific details, such as clothing and shoe sizes, and give them to the Club.
Letic said reading over these letters can be pretty heartfelt since some of the kid’s wishes go beyond material items. She said some kids write in asking for a new pair of pants, shoes, or another day to spend with a deceased loved one.
Dylan McKee, director of external affairs for the Clubs, said reading these letters is an eye-opening experience.
“It's very eye-opening; it's incredible how the little things that we take for granted really, really mean a lot to the kids for them to put them on their Christmas list. I think it was last year when we had a little boy who just kept writing he wanted apple cider. I know that sounds funny, but we had volunteers from Target who got a little extra for him. It meant a lot so see how excited he was,” he said.
Once the letters are in, the ‘community elves,’ or volunteers, get to work. Shoppers will take the lists to buy the presents, and then the gifts are wrapped and labeled.
“Each kid gets $125 worth of gifts,” Letic said.
In addition to the gifts, the children are also getting a visit from some of the Region’s heroes. These heroes are people who can serve as a mentor to the kids or hold a position that the kids look up to.
“We’ve been expanding it because really, a hero can be anybody. Anything that they might want to be,” Letic said. “We have pilots coming in. We have U.S. steel workers coming in. It’s just really anybody that could be a mentor to the kids. They mingle with them while they're eating dinner, and they’re heroes for the kids to look up to.”
Letic loves seeing the impact this has had on the children in years past.
“I can remember a little boy who was just so excited for everything that he got. He first pulled out socks and his face just lit up and he shouted ‘Socks! I got socks!’ He then pulled out a pair of pants and he was super excited, and they weren’t even jeans, they were sweatpants. He was just over the moon excited,” she said.
McKee is looking forward to seeing the event come to light after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a few changes in last year’s event.
“Last year since we had the COVID-19 pandemic we just did a little Club event, and that was very nice for the kids, but we’re really excited about everyone coming together. Seeing all the kids in one place and seeing all the volunteers in one place is quite amazing because a lot of people are coming out to support our mission. It's just a very cool thing,” he said.
Those interested in spreading holiday joy to children in Northwest Indiana can email Letic and McKee at info@bgc.org for more information on how to get involved. The Club is always looking for volunteers to wrap presents and sponsor and spend time with the kids. Any and all help is appreciated.
For more information on Boys & Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana,
visit https://www.bgcgreaternwi.org/.
