The elves are back. The reindeer are ready. And Santa Claus is primed for his annual Christmas journey.
The annual Santa's Anonymous community support campaign is underway.
The popular seasonal campaign, headed by coordinator Mary Gunderson, began in early October.
“There's lot of organization to do,” said Gunderson, who has been with the group that serves Sundre and area for more than 12 years. She is in her second season as coordinator.
And proof of the program's success in the community came on Oct. 30. The 2012 Santa's Anonymous program registered its first recipient.
Gunderson said her current immediate priorities include securing a location for the group's operations, making letters to sponsors and donors, working with local RCMP and fire department officials for the annual Charity Check Stop that is being held on Dec. 7, and checking with local schools for the best times students can volunteer.
Already, students from River Valley School's Me to We Club were out on Halloween collecting non perishable food donations for the Santa's Anonymous program.
Gunderson said students from the school will also be tasked to collect additional gifts and food while Grade 7 students will be asked to volunteer at the workshop to load and unload trucks. She said students from Sundre High School will also be collecting food donations at their annual Christmas dance.
As well, members of local sports teams will be asked to help with large orders from Sobeys and other retail outlets. There will also be a food drive in December organized by local 4-H clubs and Sundre Search and Rescue.
“We will probably have a few tons of food,” said Gunderson.
Last year, the organization distributed 143 hampers - filled with food, household goods and toys - to 315 total recipients at Christmastime. More than 150 volunteers help.
“We do a job to ensure it is available to people who may have fallen on hard times and require assistance. We have a lot of seniors who take advantage of the program,” said Gunderson. “I wish I would have known about this program when I was younger and had two kids.”
Gunderson said she is now working with about 10 volunteers. She said it will get even busier this month with substantially more help, and by December every available volunteer will be asked to contribute in some way to ensure this year's program is a success. Gunderson herself will be working long hours, five to six days a week.
“We have all kinds of wonderful people and groups helping out and providing donations. All of those are pieces of the puzzle, and we piece them together. It is a wonderful picture at the end,” said Gunderson, adding organizational help and putting together hampers comes from kindergarten children to seniors. “It takes the whole community. This is an amazing program.”
Meanwhile, hampers for needy citizens will be prepared by volunteers from Dec. 17 to 21. Each recipient will receive food, a Sobeys certificate and gifts. The quantities of items in each hamper will depend on the number of members in each family.
Any citizen who wishes to register for the program or wants to volunteer can call Gunderson at 403-638-1011.
