Santa Claus answered the call in a big way in Ranlo on Saturday.
Jesse Norman and his wife, Brittany, help Santa out by providing a mailbox outside the family’s home in Ranlo for children to place their wishes.
About 100 children showed up at the Norman house to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. While there, those children were treated to cookies and other snacks, received a toy and played games despite the rain.
Ranlo Fire Department gave Santa and Mrs. Claus the grand arrival they deserve on one of the department’s trucks.
And while many of the children did make requests for gifts, others mostly wanted to help others.
With the help of Donna Norman, the mother of Jesse Norman, here are some of those requests from Santa this year:
Dear Santa,
“I really wanted to take my mom and dad out to dinner. But I can’t. I’m only 12 years old. I hope you can help.” – Joshua
“I want all of the homeless people to find a home.” – Marla
“All I want for Christmas is for people like alcoholics to stop drinking for the sake of their life and health. I also hope people who are addicted to drugs stop because that can be very bad for their health.” – Giammi
Santa’s Mailbox
The family was inspired to start Santa’s Mailbox to honor Bobbie Payne, Donna Norman’s mother and Jesse Norman’s grandmother, who died from a heart attack at age 69 while on the family’s annual Mother’s Day trip in 2016.
In honor of
The family wants to host this year’s Santa’s Mailbox in honor of the original owners of Donna Norman’s home on Spencer Mountain Road, her son said.
The woman who owned the home, Doris Caldwell, shared a love for the community like Bobbie Payne did, Donna Norman said.
“Her three sons sold the home to us and they told me how she was a Sunday school teacher like my mom,” said Donna Norman. “It just made me feel connected, and I want to honor that.”
You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823 or email him at [email protected]