Missoula Santa Sock Donations Needed for 600 Local Veterans
Townsquare Media is happy to help again with this year's Santa Sock donations, you can drop them off at our office at 3250 South Reserve. Below is the full press release sent out by the United Veterans Council with more details -
Magical Elves and Santa Claus himself are asking for extra help this year to bring cheer, joy, happiness and appreciation to veterans of all ages during our annual Santa Socks program sponsored by United Veterans Council of Missoula and Ravalli Counties with the help of many veteran organizations and veteran supporters. Email the North Pole office at bluemountain@montana.com or call the North Pole at 719-661-4037. Call Santa Baby and she’ll pick everything or send another magical elf from the North Pole to do it.
New pairs of socks and other small items to place in the socks can also be dropped off at American Legion Post 27 Hall, 825 Ronan Street in Missoula from Monday to Friday during the day but don’t leave anything over the weekend as they get damaged or picked up. Also you can leave items for Santa Socks at Heaven’s Hidden Treasurers at 1810 North Avenue West in Missoula from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Check or cash donations can be put in the American Legion Post 27 mail slot at 825 Ronan Street, Missoula, MT 59801 or mailed to them with the notation on the check “SANTA SOCKS.” A donation of any amount will be put to great use. Believe me. Make checks out to American Legion Post 27.
Here’s what we need and we need 550 of them but you don’t have to provide all of them, but that would be nice (wink):
- Warm new socks. Any color but veterans tend to like black socks that go to the calf. Retail stores sell bundles of socks with 6 to 10 to a pack.
- Toy medal race cars. Retail stores sell some 5 to 10 to a pack.
- Small green and black plastic soldiers like you played with as a kid.
- Handmade Christmas cards you and your children make with glitter, colored construction paper, markers, and crayons that say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I love you for your service to our nation. Any size will do because your love shines through. Fun for adults AND children. Make this a family project that everyone can do. We need 350 more cards.School children from Washington Middle School and Russell Elementary this year created hundreds of wonderful Christmas cards of thanks but more cards are ALWAYS needed. Because the cards do not go into the socks and are hand presented to the
veterans by hand, we need the Christmas cards by Friday, December 15, so you have a little more time to create them since they
are not stuffed in the socks on Dec. 9. Call Santa Baby to pick them up and she will come from the North Pole. Handmade cards
are VERY special to veterans. Call Santa Baby at 719-661-4037 - Hotel or motel packets of lotion, shampoo, conditioner or mouthwash, we drop into the new pairs of socks.
- Pencils, large key chains or other promotional items your company produces that we can drop into socks. Any items that is fun and safe for an adult to see in a stocking is what we need.
United Veterans Council, with the great help of local Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) posts and auxiliaries, American Legion and their posts and auxiliaries, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Cooties of VFW, Disabled American Veteran Association (DAV), Pachyderm Club, and many individuals have contributed to Santa Socks since 2008 when this unique and poignant Christmas program began. UVC provides emergency food, lodging, and fuel to veterans throughout the year and hosts Memorial Day services, Flag Day ceremonies, and Never Forget Services on September 11 each year. UVC began after World War II and is 100% privately funded. UVC was removed from United Way’s circle of giving in 1999.
Magical elves and Santa Claus himself hand deliver these warm pairs of socks to veterans at nursing homes, independent and assisted living apartments, vet centers, Veteran Administration offices at the Western Montana State Veteran’s Cemetery, and veteran clinics in Missoula and Ravalli Counties plus private homes and businesses wherever the magical elves and Santa Claus find veterans to thank and spread Christmas cheer – the TRUE meaning of Christmas.
Knitters from local churches make hats and lap blankets to keep veterans warm and a local minister blesses each of them. These knitters have been making the hats and lap blankets all year under the direction of Helen Moore.
The magical elves that themselves are veterans and members of veteran organizations make Santa Socks THEIR Christmas and often don’t exchange gifts for themselves because the greatest gift they have is giving Santa Socks to veterans in homes around Missoula and Ravalli County.
Target, Costco, Walmart on Mullan and Brooks Streets, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Hilton Garden Inn, Tonya Foley at Majestic Madness on Broadway Street, C’mon Inn in Missoula, Holiday Inn Express in Missoula, and Wingate Hotel are businesses that so far as of Nov. 30 have contributed items but more items are needed to fill 550 Santa Socks, as you can imagine.
Please help any way you can. This is a simple and lovely way to show you care to young and old veterans that need your love. Veterans that have fought in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and everything in between receive Santa Socks so you touch veterans ranging in age from 25 to 95.
Over and out with love of the spirit of Christmas giving,
Santa Baby
United Veterans Council of Missoula and Ravalli Counties