Yes – we know it’s only October, but Christmas is a mere 78 days away, and that means Santa will be making his annual phone calls to children across the country in just 68 days!
That’s right! It’s that time of year again – “A Phone Call from Santa” is right around the corner! This is our 23rd year hosting our one-of-kind fundraiser that helps support grieving children at The WARM Place.
For just $20, you can “purchase a call” 
so your little one can talk to Santa! This is truly a priceless gift to any child – whether it’s your own kid, a grandchild, a niece, or a nephew. And if you don’t have any little ones in your life, this is a great “gift” to give to a WARM Place child. You can simply “donate” a call (or two or three) to a WARM Place child so they can experience a little extra joy this holiday season! All of the proceeds fund our Grief Support Program.
It’s difficult to explain just how magical this fundraiser is to those that have not experienced it firsthand. Each year over, 100 volunteer Santas don hats and jingle bells to play the ‘infamous’ role of Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick. They make personalized phone calls to children all across the country keeping the magic of Santa alive and spreading holiday cheer.
Each phone call “order” is made with a detailed form that answers questions like “Does he/she have any siblings?” to “What personal accomplishments have they had this year?” and of course “What is on the child’s Christmas list?” Our volunteer Santas use this form and talk to the child about what is going on in their life. It completely amazes them that Santa knows so much! Here are a few messages we received after last year’s fundraiser…
“It was GREAT. I thought Violet’s face was gonna crack she was smiling so hard! Whenever Santa asked her about facts from her life, her jaw would drop and she’d say, “HOW do you know that?” She also told Santa a bird pooped on her head. Elliott asked Santa for some new pants because none of his fit him right. (Correct.) BTW…the guy, Jonathan, who played Santa did a terrific job. By far the best Santa yet! They loved it. Thank you so much.”
“Santa just called here, and I didn’t think it was possible, but HE WAS THE BEST EVER! Bo and Izzy are completely freaking out about “all the stuff he knew!” and I think he just gave my 12 year old another year of believing. Please let me know who I can thank for being so special and kind and funny and most of all, generous with his time? Merry Christmas!!!”
“I really wasn’t sure how the girls would react to the call, if they’d believe it or not. Well, my 8-year old Ava is on cloud nine right now. She is so excited that Santa called HER! I’ll tell you, he had me confused for a second – when he mentioned one of my daughter’s teachers (I was thinking it was a small world – how he knew one of the teachers at their school… totally forgot I provided that information!). I was so impressed how he just wove all that detail into the conversation casually, and seemed genuinely interested in what they had to say. He really made their night. Gave my younger girls that little bit of magic of the holidays, which we really need this year. I also wanted him to know it was very kind of him to mention their dad. My 10 year old didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing, but I know they appreciate it when people ‘remember’ him. We all do.”
Make sure to purchase your calls this year while you can! The first opportunity will be at The Junior League of Fort Worth’s “Christmas in Cowtown” on October 15, 16, and 17. The WARM Place will have a booth and we will be selling lots of calls, so stop by to make your purchase! After that, calls will be available for purchase on our website!
We hope you will join us in spreading some holiday joy this season and participate in A Phone Call From Santa!!! We promise it will make lasting holiday memories!
-Katie Lane, Development Associate
