By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Every year there are more families to feed and presents to put under trees.
And every year the Dear Santa Society program at Bowling Green City School District meets those needs – with the help of many community elves.
But the needs are growing, and now is the time each year when the organizers begin worrying.
Last year, 70 families in the school district made it on Dear Santa’s list, compared to 56 families the previous year and 39 the year prior to that. Those 70 families had 179 children, with 147 of those children not being helped in previous years.
“There are negotiations in process of how high that (number of families) can go,” said Kisha Nichols during Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting.
Nichols and Jennifer Ostrowski, teachers at Kenwood Elementary who organize the Dear Santa program each holiday season, made their annual pitch to the school board and community.
Last year, the program delivered 82 hams, 72 coats, 118 pairs of boots and shoes, and 39 bikes to local families. It was also the first year that parents asked the program for beds and bedding for their children, Ostrowski said.
Every year, the Santa surrogates get hand-written letters from little ones asking for clothes, shoes, baby dolls and bikes.
Dressed in their red “Christmas Squad” T-shirts, Nichols and Ostrowski on Tuesday talked about all the elves needed to donate money and time to make those dreams come true.
“I can’t begin to count all the volunteers,” Nichols said.
Many of those elves come from within the schools. Student groups provide a lot of sweat equity to make the program work. Last year, the BG Ice Cats raised money to buy hams and sorted through donated hygiene items for families. The FFA provided fruit for families, and the high school StuCrew, softball team and hockey team provided help wrapping gifts and packing vehicles for deliveries.
The BG Schools Foundation supports the Santa project. Oftentimes teachers sign up and purchase the more expensive gifts – like bikes – on their own. And teachers hold various fundraisers at school or in the community to raise money for the program.
Other elves come from Bowling Green State University. Last year, members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and the swimming and diving teams helped with the gift wrapping.
And still more elves show up in the community. Dear Santa has teamed up with the Brown Bag Food Project to provide groceries in addition to the hams. Several local restaurants are holding fundraisers, including Beckett’s, SamB’s, Juniper, Dairy Queen and Curry Lounge.
Local churches, community service clubs, and stores have also rallied to help. And Brookdale Senior Living has selected Dear Santa to be the recipient of money raised by its annual wreath auction.
Though it’s more than two months till Christmas, it takes a lot of planning, shopping, wrapping and delivering to pull off Santa duties for so many families.
It’s important to identify families who may be in need. Anyone in the district may submit a request for assistance by email to dearsantabg@gmail.com or by sending a letter to the Dear Santa Society at P.O. Box 513, Bowling Green, Ohio, 43402.
The deadline to submit requests for help is Nov. 18. Families who are chosen for assistance will be contacted by Dec. 8. Delivery will be Dec. 21.
The Dear Santa volunteers start early on their elf duties. The goal is to get some of the shoppers going by Black Friday. The shopping begins in earnest after Thanksgiving, primarily by teachers and other school staff, and some local churches. Next a mass wrapping event is held. Then Santa’s elves – who look suspiciously like school employees – deliver them to the homes.
The parents are notified ahead of time, in case they don’t want their children to see the elves in action.
The Dear Santa Society was started 17 years ago in Bowling Green by Jim and Dee Szalejko. The couple have moved from the area, putting Nichols and Ostrowski in charge.
Donations to the Dear Santa program may be sent through Venmo to Dear-Santa, or through PayPal to donate@dearsantasociety.org. Donors should note that the contributions are for the BG Chapter. Donated items can be dropped off at Kenwood Elementary.
