WALKER, Mich. — We've all heard of Christmas in July, right? Try Christmas in August.
The Santa Claus Girls are bringing Christmas cheer to Kent County children who otherwise would not wake up to presents on Christmas morning.
For 116 years, the Santa Claus Girls have made the most wonderful time of the year a reality.
Tina Hudson and Lois Rainero, the president and treasurer of the Santa Claus Girls, said, "We are definitely Santa Claus seniors. That would probably be more appropriate.”
The Santa Claus Girls is run completely by volunteers, all working together to make children's wishes come true.
“It takes a village to pull off what we pull off — and we've got a really hard-working village,” Hudson remarked.
Each year, the Santa Claus Girls make sure that every child receives a pair of pajamas, a book, a toy and homemade winter hats and gloves.
“To see that no child on Christmas morning goes without a gift, that's our goal,” Hudson said.
This Christmas, they aim to provide presents for 12,000 kids in Kent County alone.
Importantly, Hudson added, “They have to have a DHS number to qualify.”
Last year, however, it wasn't the Grinch but a fire that almost stole Christmas.
“It was devastating. We were heartbroken,” Hudson and Rainero explained.
But the Santa Claus Girls refused to let these kids go without a present on Christmas. So, they used the insurance money they received from the fire to provide each registered child with a $25 gift card.
“It’s been a long year. We’ve had a lot of trials and tribulations over the gifts and if we’d be able to utilize them,“ Hudson and Rainero remarked.
The good news? After careful inspection from a professional cleaning company, all 5,200 presents that were already wrapped from last year can be gifted to children this Christmas.
“Sometimes you go up to these houses and the people open the door and there's hardly any furniture — the kids are running around just in an undershirt and a diaper, and it's the middle of December,” Hudson added.
This year, the Santa Claus Girls are continuing the 116 years of tradition of bring Christmas to the children of Kent County.
Rainero said, “I get handwritten notes about how the Santa Claus Girls made in 1947 — they would have never had a Christmas without them.”
To get involved, you can drop off winter hats and mittens to the Santa Claus Girls at their workshop from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday from now until Sept. 18. You can locate the workshop at 2500 Turner Ave. NW.
For more information on how to either donate or volunteer, click here.
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