LOOKING BACK

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Still Giving

Elf Louise Christmas Project forges ahead following its founder’s retirement, making changes for COVID-19 but still providing gifts

BY KATHLEEN PETTY

here were just three days remaining before Christmas in 1969 when Louise Locker and T her mom, Anne, decided to secretly gift toys to 13 families. Locker’s father had passed away suddenly, making the holidays a tough time, and Locker hoped to bring someone else joy by giving away some of her childhood dolls. That idea led Locker to the U.S. Post Office where she convinced an employee to let her read a stack of letters to Santa, and her giving only increased from there. In the 51 years since, her gesture has grown into a citywide volunteer operation that now provides over 60,000 gifts to area children in need. “My yearning to make one little girl’s dream come true quickly grew after reading heartfelt pleas of little ones who couldn’t understand why Santa never visited them,” Locker says. She wrote about the experience earlier this year when announcing her retirement from the all-volunteer nonprofit: “I have full faith that the project will endure beyond any of us.” Director Carol Muller is one of the thousands of volunteers making sure that’s true this year, even if COVID-19 means the traditional routines must change. Instead of volunteer Santas who deliver gifts like has long been the tradition, this year’s toys will be picked up by parents and wrapped at home for their children. Volunteers still are needed to help sort and pass out presents at the warehouse. The nonprofit’s annual WOAI Radio-thon to fund the project will continue, Dec. 4-5, but will take place in studio rather than from North Star Mall. “This has been a tough year. Our donations have been down, yet our need is much greater,” Muller says. “The children don’t really understand why their world has been turned upside down, and we want to assure them that Christmas is not cancelled.”

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