Santa's Mailbox reopens this Christmas
A Gaston County family wants to host another Santa's Mailbox event after receiving letters and giving gifts to more than 80 children in Ranlo last year.
Jesse Norman, his wife, Brittany, and his mother, Donna Norman, came up with the idea to invite children in the Ranlo community to send letters to Santa and then receive gifts last year.
"We wanted to do this to honor my mother since she loved Christmas," said Donna Norman.
The family will begin accepting letters addressed to Santa on Wednesday, Dec. 1, until Sunday, Dec. 12, at 1612 Spencer Mountain Road.
The family was inspired to start Santa's Mailbox to honor Bobbie Payne, Donna Norman's mother and Jesse Norman's grandmother, who died from a heart attack at age 69 while on the family's annual Mother's Day trip in 2016.
The death of Bobbie Payne was especially hard on her husband, Don, who found it hard to continue living in the same home, but without his wife, said Donna Norman.
Don would end up buying a new home with a gazebo in the front yard similar to a gazebo his wife used to decorate for Christmas.
"My dad got a mailbox for the gazebo in November last year that said, 'Santa's letters' on it and we thought it would be cool if kids could really send letters and get gifts for it," said Donna Norman.
The family started telling the community via Facebook to bring their letters for Santa to the mailbox at the home on Spencer Mountain Road.
"We thought we were going to do a drawing for a $25 gift card for the top three letters but those letters melted our hearts and we had to get gifts for them," said Donna Norman.
Many of the requests included dolls, Hot Wheels cars and other toys found in the 60 Christmas letters they received from children in Ranlo.
The family hosted an event Dec. 19 last year at Donna Norman's home. Dozens of children received gifts.
The family provided hot chocolate, cookies, s'mores and more to the community.
This year, children can expect to receive a gift from their letter to Santa Saturday, Dec. 18 at Donna Norman's home, located at 1612 Spencer Mountain Road.
"We just want the kids to have a good time and for everyone to enjoy seeing the smiles on their faces," said Donna Norman.
The family wants to host this year's Santa's Mailbox in honor of the original owners of Donna Norman's home on Spencer Mountain Road, her son said.
The woman who owned the home, Doris Caldwell, shared a love for the community like Bobbie Payne did, Donna Norman said.
"Her three sons sold the home to us and they told me how she was a Sunday school teacher like my mom," said Donna Norman. "It just made me feel connected and I want to honor that."
The family invites the community to donate for gifts and volunteer to hand out cookies and gifts to children for this year's event.
Those interested in volunteering should contact Jesse Norman at 704-648-1078.
Reach Janiya Winchester at 704-869-1842 or jwinchester@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Santa's Mailbox reopens this Christmas in the Gaston town of Ranlo
