Stockings are stuffed to give to the less fortunate

BOUNTIFUL — Santa Claus made a surprise visit to St. Olaf Parish’s Stocking Stuffer Dec. 14, as children ran screaming with glee to greet him.

The St. Olaf Women’s Council sponsored the event which always begins with a family-style potluck dinner. Santa, Joseph Nesi, St. Olaf parishioner, wanted to take part in this wonderful event, so he brought hats, gloves, and stockings for boys and girls.

"I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for what you are doing," said Santa. "I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas."

"We want to thank Santa for bringing presents and we would like to invite him to sing Christmas carols with us," said Lisa Adamson, St. Olaf Women’s Council president.

"We stuffed 500 stockings for the homeless and working poor at Catholic Community Services’ St. Vincent de Paul Center in Salt Lake City," said Adamson. "There were 300 for men, 100 for women, 50 for boys, and 50 for girls. Each sock was filled with the matching sock, toiletry and personal care items, and toys for the children. The socks were placed in red bags so other items could be added such as gloves and hats. St. Olaf students in kindergarten through eighth grade made Christmas cards to put in each bag.

Dominique McCarthey’s second grade class tied 22 scarves for the women’s bags. Brandon Benson said, "At first I didn’t have the hang of the knot, and then I got it and it was fun."

Heidi Schaefer’s third grade class with the help of Mary Thomson, parent volunteer, made personal hygiene and first aid kits out of pot holders. Parents volunteered to sew snack-sized baggies onto each pot holder with a button and button loop so they could be filled with items such as Tylenol, Bandaids, anti-bacterial wipes, salve, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and much more.

Third-graders in Cub Scout Troop 4030, and sixth-graders in Girl Scout Troop 38 made little sewing kits for the women’s stockings.

Rachael Damron, a seventh grade St. Olaf student, said she was happy to help the poor because they probably will not get anything else for Christmas.