Source: Johnson City Press.com

By Madison Mathews – Press Staff Writer

With Christmas only a couple of weeks away, Santa Claus and his merry band of elves are working around the clock gathering the wants, wishes and desires of children around the world.

Checking and re-checking his list, making sure Rudolph and the other reindeer are ready for their flight and stocking his sleigh with gift after gift is a lot of work for the man in red. That’s why Santa has dispatched honorary elves all over the world to read through children’s letters so he knows exactly what to pack in his bag before embarking on his journey on Christmas Eve.

Johnson City is lucky enough to have one of Santa’s expert helpers working overtime to gather the region’s letters and send them on their way to Santa’s workshop in the North Pole. Valorie Hall, a city letter carrier, has acted as Santa’s leading Tri-Cities representative since 2005.

Thanks to Hall’s hard work and her constant communication with the bearded one, thousands of letters containing the Christmas wishes of many children have been answered by none other than Kris Kringle himself.

Many of the letters don’t waste any time getting to the point, like one boy who asked Santa for video games, Legos, remote-controlled cars, movies and even a 12-gauge shotgun. Out of the page full of items asked for, the boy left Santa with one more request.

“If I get anything, please let it be a cell phone,” he said.

Other letters start off with children asking for things that will help those around them, like a request from the following girl:

“My wish for Christmas is for all the sick peaple and sick animals to get whell and for the animals, like birds, dogs and cats to find home(s),” she said.

The little girl then continued to ask Santa for a copy of “Ghost Hunters” on video, before making another wish for “orfens” to get toys and for them to find “perents.”

Going through the letters is a lot of work, and Hall said sometimes a child’s letter will really tug on the heartstrings, like one letter written from a boy who only had one wish for this Christmas.

“My wish for Christmas is that the U.S. will bring the troops home,” the boy said.

So far, Hall has received about 200 letters, and there’s still plenty of time to get them to the North Pole, however, she said the sooner a letter arrives at the Carroll Reece U.S. Post Office on North State of Franklin Road, the better. That way, Santa will be able to write a letter back to the child.

When writing a letter to Santa, Hall said there are two very important rules to remember.

“First of all, Santa doesn’t require a stamp, so just send it to the North Pole,” she said.

Hall added that each letter addressed to Santa should include a return address somewhere in the letter or on the envelope, so Santa knows who to write back to.

Once the letter is in St. Nick’s hands, it’s only a matter of time before he uses his holiday magic to send word that he’s working hard to make sure their Christmas wishes will be answered.

“He handles everything. I just make sure they get the letter,” Hall said. “Santa knows everything. He knows if you’ve been bad or good. He’s got the inside scoop.”

by Eric Gonzales / KENS 5

There are two places in Texas you can get a hold of Santa by mail. One of those places is at the Blanco, Texas post office.

Blanco got a new postmaster in October and she started a program called Operation Santa.

“The children write the letters to Santa. We accept them here and then we find individuals to help Santa,” said Blanco postmaster, Tina Kmetz.

She says the locals help out by adopting the letters. So far, there has been a 100 percent response rate back to the kids.

The postal service calls the responders “postal elves” and say the program has been going on for almost 100 years.

“Dear Santa, how do you fill your sock up with those toys, and how do your reindeer fly? I’ve been pretty good this year with just a little bad, “ one of the letters reads.

Tina says she has been impressed how local Blanconians have stepped up and adopted the letters.

By LORI BASHEDA / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

They have read your letter, addressed to the North Pole. And all the other letters sent by little boys named Kyle and little girls named Cheyenne. Letters addressed to Candy Cane Lane, Silver Bells Road and Winter Wonderland. Letters that are piling up at the Santa Ana district post office.

They may not be able to make the tumor disappear in your dog Benny. Or locate a unicorn. But they are working very hard to make at least some of your Christmas wishes come true.

How could they not, when then read letters like this one from a little girl.

“Dear Santa … A year ago my dad killed my mom and little brother so now I don’t have a mom or dad, only a sister. Im 9 years old and would like for you to bring me something for Christmas if you can. Anything would be ok.”

Or this one: “Dear Santa, my brother says that I was 3 years when my dad left. I do not remember him. My mom doesent have no meney. Sometimes I want a burger and she do not have not even a dollar. The other day I had a dream that my dad came in dressed like Santa with a lot of presents but my mom says it is just a dream.”

Some of the young letter writers aren’t even asking for anything for themselves.

“Dear Santa, my mom is sad and I can see it, paying bills and getting by being a single mom with three kids is hard for her,” one boy writes. “Just bring happyiness to my mom.”

Another girl tells Santa she has had four surgeries on her legs, but she is more concerned about her parents feeling bad because they can’t afford presents for her little sisters.

“People and kids look at my legs a lot and I don’t feel good when they do and point at me,” she writes. “But my mom and dad always been there to help me! That’s why I’m asking you to please help them this year. … Will you please help them. You don’t need to give me anything.”

Not all the letter writers are children.

One arrived from a 43-year-old unemployed mother of three. “Dear santa, I now write to you because I feel alone,” her letter reads. “I plead that maybe you can grant me the wish of a job.”

Fortunately, not every letter writer is full of sorrows. In fact some of the writers seem to have it better than this writer.

A girl who signed her letter “always nice, never naughty” is asking for “a brand new sparkly diamond ring.”

And here’s the opening line from a boy: “Dear Santa, please get me and my dad a Lamborghini.”

That same boy asks Santa to give his mom a baby boy, which would probably cancel out his dad’s delight over the Lamborghini.

If one thing is for sure, it’s that Santa letter writers cannot be stereotyped.

There are fesser-uppers: “Dear Red, I am sorry I was a bad boy.”

And butter-uppers. “Dear Santa, You’re a great guy,” begins a girl named Angelina.

There are politicians: “Thank you for participating in Christmas,” a girl named Miriam signs off.

And bargainers: “I will not yell at my mom or cry or fight with my sisters,” swears Brooklyn after asking for a guinea pig to replace the one that died.

There are cheerleaders: “Dear Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman is coming back on Christmas day!” is one boy’s entire letter.

Over-achievers: “What I would really like though is a spot on the nice list,” writes a girl named Rebecca.

And possibly even the next Kitty Kelley: “I would like to ask for your permission to write a book about you,” pens a boy.

Some kids play it cool: “Dear Santa, long time no see,” writes a girl named Gianna. “Could you go to Haiti for me?”

Others have been watching too many detective shows. “Have you ever met someone named Charo Guerrro? A.k.a Salvador Guerrero” one boy asks, directing Santa to then circle Yes or No.

And then there are those kids who you aren’t quite sure what category they belong in. “Do those little doll elfs come alive on Christmas (if you have been good) because my mom says that we don’t believe that the elf dolls come alive on Christmas.”

Some of the letters include catalogue clippings to make sure Santa gets it right. One girl taped half a dozen doll photos to her wish list. “They are the new things this year so I feel sorry for your elfs,” she writes. “Tell them to work with all they got.”

Other requests range from an electric pencil to underwear. One boy asked for the odd trio of an invisibility cloak, a Diet Rite Cola and perfect attendance. “Thank you for listening,” he signs off.

Another boy asks for a doghouse and then left his footprint in what appears to be dirt on the stationery.

But for every 10 kids who ask Santa what football team he roots for or remind him that they have outgrown Legos, there is one who wants “my abuelita to believe in herself and start walking.” A letter that breaks your heart.

“I want to know why you never come to my house,” one girl writes. “I wait for you and you never came. I have good grades. Please could you come this Christmas and make happy my family.”

Once a year, the Postal Service becomes the North Pole, fielding millions of letters addressed to Santa sent from the less fortunate hoping for a gift this Christmas. “Operation Santa” welcomes people to choose a letter and give a gift to the sender.

Millions of letters containing Christmas wish lists are sent to Santa Claus in the North Pole every year.

And they land in local post offices, where they’re made available to the public, enabling people to play St. Nick and send gifts to needy children who might otherwise get nothing, through a program called Operation Santa.

Pete Fontana, Operation Santa’s head New York City Elf, explained how the program works, on “The Early Show on Saturday Morning.”

Some postal patrons read some of the touching letters, as well, for the sake of viewers.

The Postal Service doesn’t receive tax dollars for “Operation Santa,” and the service’s current financial plight is forcing local offices to make difficult decisions about whether to participate in the optional program.

It is not too late to help! Click here to find Operation Santa USPS locations for Christmas 2011.

At the James A. Farley Post Office in New York, volunteers read letters as part of Operation Santa Claus, a program that enables postal employees, the general public and corporations to respond to letters written to Santa by needy families.

DECATUR, Ga. (MarketWatch) — Every December, the U.S. Postal Service receives millions of letters to Santa, and in a program called Operation Santa Claus, postal workers attempt to sort out the requests from needy children so that good Samaritans can purchase gifts to make wishes come true.

This year, many of those notes to Saint Nick are coming not only from children but struggling parents and grandparents, hit hard by a troubled economy and unemployment, said Peter Fontana, head elf at Operation Santa’s New York location at the city’s main post office in the James A. Farley building.

Employees at the James A. Farley Post Office in New York help customers process responses to letters written to Santa Claus. Operation Santa Claus is a program that lets postal workers, the general public and companies respond to letters written to Santa Claus by needy families.

Moms and grandmas write to lament that they cannot afford even the basics for their children and grandchildren — winter coats, hats and gloves, blankets or a turkey for a holiday dinner, he said.

“There’s more than one with the same theme,” said Fontana, who is starting his 16th season with Operation Santa. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

In 2010, New York’s Operation Santa alone received a record 1 million letters, double the number received in 2009, and coordinated approximately 40,000 responses to children in need, said Darleen Reid, a U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman.

One letter to Santa this year came from Victoria, a grandmother who is recovering from heart surgery. She asks for clothes, toys and a “little radio” for Nisa Marie, her 6-year-old granddaughter. Nisa’s mother has been unemployed for two-and-a-half years.

“This might be a good Christmas; maybe the worst Christmas ever,” Victoria wrote. “She applies, applies and applies and never gets hired anywhere.”

LaTanya, another Santa letter-writer, states that she is in her 20s, expecting a baby in early January and living in a shelter. All she wants is “clothes for me [and] I need clothes and accessories for a newborn girl.”

Another record year in the works

The U.S. Postal Service has been receiving children’s letters to Santa for more than a century, but in 1912, then-Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock started an official program to allow postal employees and other good Samaritans to answer the letters and send presents. In 1940, the amount of mail addressed to the jolly old elf had grown so significantly that charities and businesses were invited to join Operation Santa.

Fontana said he’s certain the recession triggered the higher number of letters in 2010, a year which he called “the busiest ever in my Operation Santa career.”

“This year is starting off as a record year, too,” he said. “The kids need all the help they can get.”

Fontana supervises 21 postal “elves” who open “Dear Santa” letters and determine which ones indicate a child in need. Once a letter is chosen, they then redact all personal information about the child, such as last name, address, telephone number. Then the letter is assigned a number.

A designated Operation Santa room in the Farley Building has been filled for the past few weeks with people reading and comparing letters, Fontana said. Individuals may select up to 10 letters for “adoption,” but organizations can commit to more and distribute them to employees or volunteers, he said.

Once a gift has been purchased, the volunteer or group then brings the letter and gift back to the post office and pays the postage. Postal workers pack the gift, check the letter’s number against a database for the child’s address, and mail it to the child.

While reading so many letters about families in need can generate some tears, seeing the goodwill of others fulfill so many wishes makes his holiday job as head elf gratifying, said Fontana, who for the rest of the year is a customer-relations coordinator.

How to play Santa

About 75 post offices around the nation are participating in Operation Santa this year. To adopt letters, individuals, businesses and nonprofits can check this link to find a nearby post office: List of participating post offices.

Volunteers used to be able to request letters via mail and telephone, but to ensure the letter writers’ privacy, now all letters must be picked up in person from a designated Operation Santa location.

Because not all municipalities have a participating post office, tourists and business travelers often stop by the Farley Building, Fontana said.

The deadline to volunteer and mail a gift for Operation Santa is Dec. 23, the last day on which a package mailed by overnight express service can reach a child before Christmas.

Anya Martin, based in Decatur, Ga., writes for MarketWatch.

Nothing touches the imagination like the magic of Christmas. Share the joy this Christmas season by taking the family on a magical train ride to the North Pole!

Polar Express and Christmas Train Locations

Arizona

• Grand Canyon Railway. Williams Arizona. Experience the magic of The Polar Express™, the classic children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. The Polar Express comes to life when the train departs the Williams Depot for a journey through the dark and quiet wilderness for a special visit to the “North Pole.” Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies while listening to the magical story. Watch the joy on the children’s faces when the train arrives at the North Pole, where Santa Claus and his reindeer are waiting! Santa will board The Polar Express and hand each child their own special gift. Make this a family holiday tradition

California

• California State Railroad Museum. Old Sacramento, CA. Tickets are SOLD OUT.
  
• Fillmore and Western Railway Co. Home of the Movie Trains,. North Pole Express.Come in your pajamas & bring your teddy bears for the trip to the “North Pole”. Elves make the exciting trip with you to the “North Pole” where Santa is awaiting our arrival. To help make sure you get into the spirit of the holiday, a story is read, Christmas carols are sang, and a snack of cookies and chocolate milk is served.
  All that is left to do now is believe!
• Roaring Camp Railroads. Felton, CA. Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train. Ride vintage excursion cars, adorned with thousands of colorful lights, as they roll through city streets past homes of Santa Cruz. Sing along to seasonal carols while sipping hot-spiced cider, listen to musical entertainment, and enjoy a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. The train ride lasts 1 hour. Continue the merriment at Santa’s Kingdom at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Colorado

• Georgetown Loop Railroad. Denver, CO. Santa’s North Pole Adventure will be there for all to enjoy. You will join Santa and his helpers aboard our decorated and lighted enclosed heated coaches starting the weekend before Thanksgiving. There will be free hot chocolate, candy canes and cookies for all and a souvenir gift from Santa for the children. These trains will operate on weekends starting November 19th through December 18th and then daily through December 30th.

Connecticut

• Essex Steam Train and Riverboat. Essex, CT. Board our locomotive-powered sleigh…for a magical nighttime journey to the North Pole. Every coach becomes a stage for a live, musical performance of The Night Before Christmas. Celebrate the spirit of the season with Santa and Mrs. Claus, sing-a-longs, hot chocolate and sugar cookies.
  

Iowa

• Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. Boone, Iowa. As we leave the station, your car attendant will greet you, and briefly tell you about our operations, and maybe find out a bit of information about the passengers. We will then read a new story, written just for us, “Santa’s Scenic Valley Ride”. You can preorder the book if you want to have one to read along with and see the pictures better. We will have an “elf” walking up and down the aisle, showing pictures from the book as the attendant reads the story. We should finish the story about the time we arrive at the “North Pole”. At the “North Pole”, Santa will get on the train. He will walk through the train, and greet each child and give him or her a bell. While he is doing that, the car attendant and elves will pass out cookies, as other servers pass out hot chocolate. When Santa gets through the train, he will deboard and stand by his “workshop”. We will wave goodbye to him and head back to town. During the ride back, we will sing seasonal songs, tell holiday riddles and jokes, and maybe have a pajama fashion show if the kids have worn their pjs.
  

Georgia

• Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.Blue Ridge, GA. Night excursions to the Christmas Pavilion at McCaysville, GA – Various Dates- November 24th to December 18th.This is a late afternoon departure (4:00pm) on various dates from the Blue Ridge Depot for the 1 hour train ride while Santa visits with the children in each car and gives each child a Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Christmas memento and candy cane. Santa will pose with the passengers for pictures on the train or in the Christmas Pavilion during the two hour layover.Take time to eat and shop the many store and antique galleries while in McCaysville, Ga./ Copperhill, Tn. Then reboard the train for the hour return trip arriving in Blue Ridge at 8:00pm.

Michigan

•  Michigan Steam Train. Owosso, Michigan. This exciting four-hour journey includes hot cocoa, visits with Santa, holiday rides, model railroad displays, live entertainment, holiday crafts and shopping in the Kris Kringle Mart. Passengers will enjoy the nostalgic ambiance of riding the American rail while viewing the winter scenery of Mid-Michigan.

New Hampshire

• Journey to the North Pole. Lincoln and North Conway, NH. The original Polar Express Event. A magical Journey to the North Pole! The Polar Express Event of New England® offers this truly unique adventure as a four dimensional interactive experience that only happens here in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We are the original Polar Express Event that includes a wonderful train ride, a sea of elves, and of course, Santa himself! With exclusive treats and gifts, your two-hour holiday journey will include a wonderful walk to the North Pole Theater, where the little boy in Chris Van Allsburg’s story has grown old, and will read the Polar Express book to explain his journey when he was young. This journey will make true believers out of all ages, reminding us that gift of giving is truly the best gift of all. We encourage reading the Polar Express book by Chris Van Allsburg, giving you insight to this memorable experience.

New York

• Adirondack Scenic Railroad. Utica, NY. Inspired by the award winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, come experience the magic of The Polar Express™. read along with the story as the train makes its round trip journey to the North Pole. Meet Santa Claus and enjoy caroling, hot chocolate and a treat. And for those who believe, a special gift for each child. Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas!

North Carolina

• Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Bryson City, NC. The 1 ¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the “North Pole” to find Santa Claus waiting.

Oklahoma

• Dry Gulch Christmas Train. Dry Gulch, OK. Enter a world of wonder and delight this holiday season, dine and shop in a place untouched by time, and take a wagon ride through a winter wonderland. Amidst the Old West setting at The Christmas Train, you will find lots to see and do, and Old Claus himself will be on hand to greet you. Aboard an old-fashioned steam train, you and yours will witness an unforgettable retelling of the true story of Christmas. Tickets are SOLD OUT.

 Tennessee

• Three Rivers Rambler. Knoxville, TN. The Christmas Express train ride will operate Thanksgiving weekend and the first three weekends of December, 2011.

Texas

• Texas State Railroad. Palestine, TX.

Washington

• Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum. Chehalis, WA. It’s that time again! This Holiday Season, come ride the train with Santa! Our star event is the return of the Polar Express, where kids and adults get a nighttime ride to the North Pole to meet Santa, with plenty of singing, cocoa, and other events along the ride. Also available, we offer Santa Steam Train rides, shorter runs in daytime that include a visit from Santa on board. Tickets are SOLD OUT.