Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. This years chairman, Bob Thiboutot, and 30 volunteers are ready to get started. Our mission is to “put a smile on a child” for Christmas. Last year, we served 526 boys and girls in our distribution area and this was only accomplished by the wonderful donations sent in daily by The Times Record readers and long time supporters.

Again this year, we will be asking for donations to support our mission of providing gifts to children whose parents need assistance to make it happen. Our mailing address remains the same and checks may be sent to:

The Santa Claus Fund
P.O. Box 278
Brunswick, ME 04011

If you prefer to donate new toys, games, hats, mittens, gift cards or cash, these may be brought to the Elks Club at 179 Park Row in Brunswick, or on Lombard Street in Bath. Just ring the doorbell and someone will assist you. All donations will be published in The Times Record in the manner you wish: By name, in memory of a loved one or anonymously. It will be our pleasure. All donations are tax deductible.

The Santa Claus Fund provides gifts to boys and girls age 12 and younger as of Dec. 25, who physically reside in the towns of Brunswick, Topsham, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Richmond, Litchfield, Harpswell, Bath, West Bath, Phippsburg, Woolwich, Arrowsic or Georgetown. The custodial parent or legal guardian is the person who may apply. The address for applying is the P.O. Box listed above.

To apply for assistance, both the children and the adult applicant must be legal residents of a town in our distribution area. Only one letter will be accepted, so in the instance of split custody, the town where the child attends school will be used to determine which parent may apply. If you have a question regarding this policy, you may call for clarification. As soon as our telephone number is assigned, it will be published. Applications may be sent now, and will be accepted until noon Dec. 17. The package pickup date will be Dec. 19.

Applications are usually filled within one or two days of receipt. Please call us a few days after mailing your letter for your box number and pickup place. We will also try to reach you, but will not leave a message with a child.

Each letter must include:

1) The name and the physical address, as well as a daytime telephone number of the adult applying. If we have any questions, we will call for clarification. A Post Office box address will be rejected.

2) The first and last name of each child, gender, age, and date of birth must be included. No exceptions. We ask for gender because not every name is only used for a boy or girl.

Watch this space for updates, as donations are received, which we hope will be daily! Ho! Ho! Ho!