The annual Santa's Anonymous campaign of the Community Lions of Elk Point wrapped up this past weekend, with a large influx of volunteer elves, from seniors to Elk Point 4-H Beef Club members, gathering at Elk Point Further Education on Friday to help wrap up an array of gifts and fill hampers for 50 local families in need.
Along with 11 cartons of groceries donated by Elk Point Elementary School students and food donations collected at Elk Point Roman Catholic Church, cash donations from shoppers at Cornerstone Co-op covered the purchase of an ample supply of food, with the Co-op donating flour, sugar, paper towels and chocolates for the hampers.
Collection boxes in local businesses were well filled with gift donations, and donations from service groups and individuals were used to add to the mounting pile of gifts. The Santas’ elvesworked after dark for a whole weekto sort the donations by age and gender ensuring that each child received a bounty of gifts, including locally hand knit toques and mitts, Lions members report.
The County of St. Paul and Elk Point FCSS gathered names for the program again this year, and also contacted the families when the bulging hampers of food and gifrs were ready for pickup.
