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Friends of Kirkwood Public Library Again Sponsors Letters from Santa
200 S. Kirkwood Rd. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Friends |
November 12, 2009
Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library will again sponsor its “Letter from Santa” program that raises money for the library, as well as helping Kris Kringle with his correspondence.
Virginia Kramer, President of the Friends, explained that the program started with the 2007 Christmas season. “I had seen this type of fund-raiser before and it occurred to me it would be a good way for the Friends of KPL to raise additional funds for the library. The Children’s Room is such an important part of the library that a Letter from Santa project seemed a natural ‘fit’ for our group.”
The letters cost $5 apiece. The person ordering the letter answers a few basic questions about the intended recipient such as the child’s favorite class in school, a recent accomplishment, names of family pets, to name a few.
She continued, “One of the joys of working on this effort is the feedback. For example, Lisa Henry, Director of Operations for the library, ordered a letter for her three-year-old son Jake. Prior to the letter arriving, Lisa took him to visit Santa Claus, but at the last minute he was afraid and cried and wouldn’t sit on Santa’s lap. When they arrived home, he became concerned that Santa was angry with him and wouldn’t bring any presents. When the letter from Santa arrived and Lisa read it to him, Jake was overjoyed to learn that Santa wasn’t angry with him after all.”
The letters are postmarked “North Pole” through a service provided by the United States Postal Service. Kramer reported, “One seven-year-old girl had gotten to the point of questioning the existence of Santa. But her mother told us that when the letter from Santa arrived with a North Pole cancellation, her daughter remarked, ‘Mama, look, there really is a Santa Claus. Look at where his letter came from.’”
Kramer also noted that the letters don’t have to go to children. One Kirkwood resident ordered eight letters, and only one was for a child. The other seven went to recipients between 50 and 80 years of age. “Several requestors have told us that this has been a small way to bring a little unexpected joy into the lives of adult friends, neighbors, and relatives,” Kramer said.
Because this is all handled by mail, the requestor and the recipient can be anywhere. “It’s a great way for grandparents to do a little something special for grandchildren who are out of town,” Kramer pointed out. “Carol Sipes, the Friends’ Treasurer, received a call from her granddaughter in Santa Fe who was excited about having received a letter from Santa. The granddaughter told her grandma that ‘Santa says I should call and talk to you more often.’ That kind of personalization can really make a difference!”
To order a Letter from Santa, you can print the order form. For further information, please call the Friends at 314-821-5770, Extension 1023, and leave a message or send an email to KPLFriends@kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org. One of Santa’s elves will respond quick as a wink.
