Although it is August and temperatures are still above 35 degrees, the Christmas fundraising season has already begun for a local nonprofit organization.
For the past 16 years, the Letters to Santa charity has provided food, clothing and essentials to needy children and families during the holiday season. The effort is made possible with the help of dozens of volunteers, community sponsors and a major fundraiser, the annual Letters to Santa Charity Gala.
This year’s gala will be held on October 5th at the Assyrian American Civic Club, 2618 N. Golden State Blvd. in Turlock. Tickets and table sponsorships are now on sale and auction items are currently being accepted.
“I go to a lot of fundraisers,” said Betty Julian, president of Letters to Santa. “And in my opinion, we have one of the best. It’s a big celebration with one of the biggest auctions, but most importantly, 100% of the proceeds go to Letters to Santa.”
Tickets and sponsorship packages are as follows:
- Single ticket: $75
- Santa’s School District Helpers: $800 for a table for 12
- Elf Table Purchase: $1,000 for 12 dinner tickets (no marketing)
- Mistletoe Sponsorship: $1,500 for 12 dinner tickets and a mention in the program
- Santa’s Sleigh Sponsorship: $2,500 for 12 dinner tickets, quarterly advertisement in program
- Polar Express Sponsorship: $3,500 for 12 dinner tickets with preferred seating and the Premium Marketing Package
- North Pole Sponsorship: $5,000 for 14 dinner tickets with premium seating and the VIP marketing package.
Silent and live auction items include electronics, appliances, furniture, vacations, tools, cooking equipment, outdoor gear, spa days, sports memorabilia, gift certificates and just about everything in between.
“We also have so many vendors who donate their time and energy, including the photographer, the photo booth, the decorators, the chefs… There are countless businesses in the community that also contribute and donate their services and products for free,” Julian added.
With the $250,000 raised at last year’s gala, each student nominated by local teachers in surrounding school districts received a $50 gift card for groceries, school-related items from Crivelli’s Shirts and More, socks, blankets and pajamas. Elementary school students could choose between three toys from “Santa’s Workshop,” while middle and high school students received about $70 in gift cards from local businesses such as Lulu’s Ice Cream Parlor, Willie’s Pizza and Wings, Quikly, Allison’s Coffee House and Ten Pin Fun Center.
The organization has impacted the lives of more than 1,450 children at 25 schools in Stanislaus County, including all Turlock Unified School District campuses. Last year, Letters to Santa was named TUSD’s Volunteer Organization of the Year. They were also honored at this year’s Stanislaus Partners in Education Recognition Luncheon.
“The feedback from administrators and teachers has been great,” Julian said.
But their mission to bring joy and happiness to local youth doesn’t end with Christmas, as the organization awards scholarships to students at Turlock and Pitman High School who give back to the community, including those who participate in Letters to Santa.
Julian encouraged anyone interested in purchasing tickets, sponsoring, donating auction items or volunteering with the organization to visit www.Letters2SantaCharity.com or contact the team directly at [email protected]. Community members can also follow the organization on social media at @LettersToSantaCharity-StanislausCounty on Facebook and @LettersToSantaCharity on Instagram.
The deadline to apply for logo advertising in the event program is September 6. Detailed information on each marketing package can be found on the Letters to Santa website. In addition, auction items will be accepted until the week of the gala. There is no deadline to purchase tickets, but she expects the approximately 750 tickets to sell out quickly.
