Rotary Club of Warren County: ‘Letters to Santa’ project a big success its first year

FRONT ROYAL – When the Rotary Club of Warren sets out to do a project, they aim high. This year, for the first time, the civic group decided to help Santa Claus out by answering some of the huge stack of letters the old gentleman receives from children each year.

According to Rotary member and organizer, Felicia Hart, the project was even more successful than the Rotarians had imagined. “What a huge hit! The Rotary Club of Warren County definitely helped Santa out this year. For our first-year offering, we produced, personalized and mailed 422 letters – to kids of all ages.”

Ms. Hart said Letters went to “kids” of all ages, ranging from 9-months to 72-years-old. Letters were mailed letters across the Shenandoah Valley, to Front Royal, Strasburg, Winchester, Harrisonburg and as far away as Coral Cables, FL.

Rotary members who helped with the letters noted that there were “so many positive comments from moms, dads and even aunts who wrote the requests and then witnessed the children receiving and opening their letters, which included holiday stickers.

Hart said, “We even got a thank you letter back from the child with the stickers attached.”

Some of the letters were personalized by the Rotary members, by completing a P.S. with information supplied by parents – everything from working on keeping a neat bedroom, to start using the “Big Girl Potty” to being nicer to a sibling.

This was the parent’s opportunity to “leverage” Santa’s advice, Hart said. She reported that club members had a wonderful time not only reading the letters and the kids’ requests of Santa, but hand-writing the P.S. to the recipient.

This project was such a hit, the club has already decided we will definitely be doing it again next year.

The Rotary Club of Warren County meets on Wednesdays at 7 a.m. at the Front Royal Golf Club.

Some of the club’s service projects have included: the community playground in Linden, a van for the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging, a greenhouse for Blue Ridge Opportunities, renovation of spaces for the Phoenix Project and upgrading the playground for E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School
The Rotary Club of Warren County also supports C-CAP of Warren County, St. Luke Clinic, Samuels Public Library, the United Way and the Humane Society of Warren County.

Additionally, the group grants three annual scholarships to students at Skyline High School and sponsors Interact Clubs at Skyline High School and Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School.