(Dec. 3, 2015) The Town of Berlin is inviting area children to write letters to Santa via a new program developed in conjunction with the Office Of Economic And Community Development – and the North Pole.
Town officials have created a special “Letters to Santa” mailbox inside the visitor’s center on 14 South Main Street just for the occasion.
“Kids can come down, they can write a letter to Santa, drop it in the express mailbox to the North Pole, we will receive the letter, and Santa will write the kids back a letter,” said Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells.
Included in each return letter will be a coupon for a free cookie at Baked Dessert Cafe or Berlin Coffee House, or an ice cream cone from Rayne’s Reef.
Sharon Timmons, administrative assistant, will hand-deliver each letter to the offices of a certain jolly old elf.
“He’s really cool,” Timmons said of her relationship with Christopher J. Kringle. “He and I are pretty tight.”
Timmons was coy about just how she regularly makes the roughly 4,000-mile trek to the North Pole, but Christmas magic was implied.
Letters can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or from noon-3 p.m. on Saturdays, through Dec. 18.
Names and addresses are required for return correspondence with St. Nicholas. Donations to the Main Street program — as well as, presumably, to the magical reindeer carrot fund — are welcome.
The campaign is a first for Berlin, but not for Wells, who created a similar program during her work as economic development director in Sykesville.
“The goal is, kids have to come downtown with their parents to drop a letter, but then the coupon encourages them to come back again,” she said. “You can’t get enough of downtown Berlin during Christmas time.”
Town officials have created a special “Letters to Santa” mailbox inside the visitor’s center on 14 South Main Street just for the occasion.
“Kids can come down, they can write a letter to Santa, drop it in the express mailbox to the North Pole, we will receive the letter, and Santa will write the kids back a letter,” said Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells.
Included in each return letter will be a coupon for a free cookie at Baked Dessert Cafe or Berlin Coffee House, or an ice cream cone from Rayne’s Reef.
Sharon Timmons, administrative assistant, will hand-deliver each letter to the offices of a certain jolly old elf.
“He’s really cool,” Timmons said of her relationship with Christopher J. Kringle. “He and I are pretty tight.”
Timmons was coy about just how she regularly makes the roughly 4,000-mile trek to the North Pole, but Christmas magic was implied.
Letters can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or from noon-3 p.m. on Saturdays, through Dec. 18.
Names and addresses are required for return correspondence with St. Nicholas. Donations to the Main Street program — as well as, presumably, to the magical reindeer carrot fund — are welcome.
The campaign is a first for Berlin, but not for Wells, who created a similar program during her work as economic development director in Sykesville.
“The goal is, kids have to come downtown with their parents to drop a letter, but then the coupon encourages them to come back again,” she said. “You can’t get enough of downtown Berlin during Christmas time.”