Operation Santa Claus is a yearly initiative undertaken by the
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
. It was started in 1912 when
United States Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to start responding to needy children, with the first one starting at the
James Farley Post Office
The James A. Farley Building is a mixed-use structure in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, which formerly served as the city's main United States Postal Service (USPS) branch. Designed by McKim, Mead & White in the Beaux-Arts style, the structur ...
.
For years, the program has invited children to send letters to
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
at 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888. Members of the public may volunteer to "adopt" these letters. Letter adopters reply to the children and may send them gifts. While the adoption program used to operate out of selected post offices to which letters had been distributed and volunteers had to visit those post offices to receive the letters they were adopting, since 2019, the adoption program has been carried out online.
Operation Santa Claus program in Alaska
The
Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
in cooperation with the
Alaska Air National Guard use
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
to distribute every year gifts to children living in remote places in Alaska before Christmas.
Operation Santa Claus program
, ''The Salvation Army, Alaska Division''
See also
* Operation Christmas Drop
Operation Christmas Drop is a tradition that started in 1952 that serves as a training mission for the U.S. Air Force. It has since become the longest-running U.S. Department of Defense mission in full operation, and the longest-running human ...
, annual U.S. airforce drop over Micronesia
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official websiteUSPS Holiday NewsroomGuide to Operation Santa by volunteers
Santa Claus
United States Postal Service
Christmas in the United States
Recurring events established in 1912
1912 establishments in the United States