RECENT STORIES

News of military personnel with local ties ( Army, Air Force Hometown News )
CSUN lecture to explore consciousness ( Carmen Ramos Chandler )
Community welcomes new master chorale director ( Robert Weibezahl )
Senior Retreat takes best business entry in parade ( judi uthus )
To Philippine superstar, life after drug arrest ( DIONESIO GRAVA )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ The Valley \\ Stories \\ Holidays \\ Christmas

Santa sends out his Jaycees

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

NEXT › ‹ PREVIOUS

Contributed by: Mark Kellam on 12/20/2007

Every Christmas Eve, the Universal City-North Hollywood Jaycees hit the streets to help St. Nick deliver gifts to needy families in the southeast San Fernando Valley.

As part of their Operation: Santa program, they divide into teams that consist of a Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves. This year, there will be 10 teams, each delivering gifts to 10 families, said Jack Witt, president of the Jaycees.

It's the seventh year the Jaycees have helped bring holiday joy to local families. Witt said the experience can be very emotional.

"Sometimes the moms are crying," he said, adding that last year the Jaycees also brought a Christmas tree to one family that could not afford a tree of its own. It was a moment that brought tears to everyone's eyes.

The group starts work on Operation: Santa in October, gathering names of families that need some help from area school principals.

The program has grown over the years and now lends a hand to students from three elementary schools - Victory, Coldwater Canyon and Maurice Sendak.

The children write letters, listing what they'd like for Christmas.

While many of the kids want toys, some ask for items such as a sweater so they can stay warm or pots and pans so their mother can make meals for the family.

The toys are collected at bins placed at area businesses and through donations by Jaycees themselves as well as members of other service clubs.

For special requests, the Jaycees often go out and purchase them, using monetary donations.

The main fundraiser for Operation: Santa is a bit unique. Two of the Jaycees - Gina Graziadio and Ermin Cruz III - are members of the L.A. Opera. For the past three years in November, they have given a performance, singing musical theater and classical solos and duets.

This year's performance raised $1,700 for Operation: Santa. In addition, individuals make donations throughout the year.

After reading the children's Christmas wishes, the Jaycees set out to make them come true.

Volunteers will meet Saturday at the Universal City-North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which is Operation: Santa headquarters, to bag all the gifts. They'll bag from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On Christmas Eve, everyone will meet again at the chamber office, where the Santas will suit up, as will the Mrs. Clauses and elves.

Around 4 p.m., they'll start on their way, with directions in hand, visiting 100 area homes.

Everything usually goes smoothly, though there have been some funny moments. Witt recalls one year when a child saw him, in his red suit, get out of a car.

"Where's your sleigh?" the child asked.

Thinking quickly, Witt explained that the reindeer were hungry, so he left them at a friend's house up the street, where they were getting something to eat. So, Witt told the child, he borrowed the friend's car to make toy deliveries for a while.

To find out more about Operation: Santa, including how to volunteer or make a last-minute donation, call Jack Witt at 818-760-3891.

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story