Santa's helpers enliven kids' holiday spirit
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — No one gets more mail than Santa Claus.
This time of year, children stuff mailboxes with their hand-crafted letters of wishes and questions for the jolly man in the big red suit.
Santa enlists the help of adults all over the world to answer those notes.
The letters may start the same but the messages inside are as unique as sleigh tracks in the snow.
"Do you really come on a reindeer? If yes, wow. If not, still wow."
"I have been good this year. I even stopped a bad habit. Although I did start a new bad habit."
"Dear Santa, I am Teddy. I am almost five. I am kind and I like to help people. For Christmas, I would love the whole bluey world."
"The variety is so fun. There are kids that want the world. There are also kids who just want peace. There are kids who are saying thank you for presents from last year," said Lois Gaudette, one of Santa's helpers.
The letters and wish lists land in Santa's mailbox locations around Plymouth.
"I work over at the community center, and we have one of the mailboxes there. A lot of kids take pictures with the mailbox. I get to see them hold up their letters and put the letters in the mailbox. That's super fun. It's adorable," said Santa's helper Hannah Hawkins.
"We had a lot of help, and we need it because we have a lot of letters," explained Zach Swenson, Program Coordinator for the City of Plymouth.
"Please bring me a flute and a tiny baby unicorn and a giant Rudolph with a glowing nose please."
Santa-certified helpers read and answer a few hundred pieces of Christmas correspondence.
Jackie Vallette-Uglow has been answering letters to Santa for over five years.
"I really love writing letters and I think it's a lost art," said Vallette-Uglow.
"Bunny slippers, Play-doh, Gator Golf, Christmas tree."
"Some of the things they are asking for are a little simpler," explained Vallette-Uglow.
She says the helpers take extra care with some of the more difficult letters Santa receives.
"My dog died. I miss him. Can you see him, Santa? Or a family member that's missing or not involved with the family anymore and they're missing them, so you want to get back and say Santa thinks of everybody and think of the memories you have with them," said Vallette Uglow.
A lot of mail that comes through is kids thinking of others.
"We get a lot of kids asking for their baby siblings. They ask for them to get presents," said Swenson.
Letters include coloring book sheets, handmade drawings, pictures of toys cut out of catalogs, and the occasional holiday dazzle.
"I like to check each letter to make sure it has the stuff that we need and there was a lot of glitter and so I had to get the vacuum out early this morning," laughed Swenson.
Santa's helpers say these letters are more than pieces of paper, they are a reminder of the magic and spirit of the season.
"This just makes me feel like I'm young again, and I love helping Santa," said Gaudette.
Plymouth city leaders tell us volunteers have been helping answer letters to Santa for over 15 years.
