Stillwater NewsPress

Local News

December 4, 2012

Stillwater 'elves' helping Santa Claus

By Chase Rheam Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER, Okla. — For children hoping to get Santa Claus’ attention before Christmas this year, there may just be a way.

The local office of the United States Postal Service is accepting letters to Santa. Distribution Clerk Kathy Carter said they have been “sending” the letters for the past four years.

A team of two postal workers work to craft the responses. Carter said they received more than 100 letters last year.

“We never tell them that they’re going to get it for Christmas ... but we tell them that if they’re good, maybe Santa can do something special for them,” she said.

Carter recalled her children, who are now grown, were excited by the prospect of receiving a return letter from Saint Nick.

Senior Public Relations Representative for the United States Postal Service Darleen Reid said there are a number of post offices taking part in the letter campaign.

“For the most part, we have 76 locations this year where postal employees are answering the letters,” Reid said.

Some other locations will take public volunteers to assist. While it’s not mandated, the postal workers and volunteers can choose to simply respond to the letter or even send a gift requested in the child’s letter, Reid said.

Locally, no gifts are sent, but every letter receives a reply. Carter said local unions donate to the Salvation Army and other programs around this time of year.

“We can contribute to the different programs out there and everyone votes on which ones they would like to choose,” she said. “Everyone picks a group that they feel strongly about helping.”

However, the gift of keeping a tradition alive is awesome, Carter said.

Parents of children who want to send Santa Claus a letter should have their children write their first and last name on the letter and remember to include a return address. Letters can be mailed at home or dropped off at the post office where a special box sits inside the lobby.

“I like the fact that we take the time to answer the kids’ letters,” Carter said.

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