Santa’s maibox now open

Published 7:04 am Friday, November 27, 2009

Kids who have a little spare time this Thanksgiving can work on drafting their Christmas wish lists.

For the third year in a row, the Hormel Historic Home (HHH) will mail letters free of charge directly to Santa’s North Pole workshop.

Kids can drop off their notes now through Christmas Eve in Santa’s mailbox at the HHH during normal hours of operation, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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“Its a fun thing to do to celebrate the season,” executive director of the HHH Laura Helle said.

The tradition began three years ago, with the bright idea from retired correspondence veteran Bonnie Mogen, who owned a Hallmark store at the time.

Helle arranged for the mailbox to be placed at the HHH, and said about 100 letters are deposited there each season.

The tradition has changed a bit through the years. Letters used to be read on Power 96 and the young writers have been interviewed during the holiday parade.

Helle still screens the letters for the big guy — presumably to organize them for mailing purposes. Toy lists go in one pile, board games in another, electronics in another, and so on.

When she comes across a particularly interesting note, Helle re-prints it in her newspaper column (with Santa’s approval), which appears in the Austin Daily Herald’s Sunday editions.

Santa’s Mailbox is sponsored by Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The North Pole Postal Service Elves and locally, the Hormel Historic Home, Trimble Cycle Center, Power 96 and KQAQ Radio.

The Hormel Historic Home is located at 208 Fourth Avenue NW.