The residents of Cuyuna Regional Medical Center’s Care Center are taking on the role of Kris Kringle this holiday season by writing responses to children’s letters to Santa.

Area youth writing a letter to Santa Clause at the North Pole and dropping it off at the mailbox outside of the Care Center before Friday, Dec. 18, can be sure of getting a hand-written, personal response. No postage is necessary. Just remember to include the child’s name and mailing address so Santa’s elves in the Care Center know where to write him or her back. Letters will be picked up every day so a response can be made prior to Christmas Eve.

Letter templates will be distributed through Cuyuna Range Elementary School and a form may be downloaded at https://www.cuyunamed.org/application/files/3716/0676/7618/CareCenterKidsWishlistV2.pdf Youngsters are welcome to submit their own letters as well.

The Care Center residents came up with the idea for a letter writing campaign to give back to the community which has been so amazing to them through the COVID pandemic.

“We’re hoping to help make children smile while brightening the holidays for our quarantined residents,” said Activities Director Mary Dehning. “The residents absolutely love being helpful.”

The residents, a.k.a. “Santa’s helpers,” will be meeting weekly to read the letters and write individual, personal replies to each child. When the letters are mailed back to the children via the U.S. Postal Service, they’ll be addressed as if they are being sent from the North Pole.

Dehning said the letter writing campaign will help residents get into the holiday spirit while also giving them a sense of purpose this Christmas. For more information, contact Dehning at 218-546-4353.

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