11-Year-Old Santa Celebrates 5th Year of Helping Families in Need
JENSEN BEACH, Fla., Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- If you've ever wondered where your toy and holiday donations go, you're not alone. Every year at this time, cardboard boxes pop up at retailers asking you toss an unwrapped toy inside with no further requirements or information as to where it will end up. At the age of six, Jamie Ashbourne was horrified to learn that there was no way to make sure his donation got to the right person. Dropping unwrapped toys in a cardboard box for children in need seemed like a horror scene out of a Toy Story movie to him. "I was horrified by the idea of random toys being tossed in a box -- how could they ever grant a child's wish?" He wanted to give he just felt that there could be a more personal way to do so. He wanted to wrap his donations and see the child's face when they got the gift. So he set out to start his own toy drive.
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It was five years ago, the Stuart Middle School 6th grader took it upon himself to wrap his donations only to find no established charity would accept them. Even at that age, he remained undeterred and continued wrapping until he had a sack of toys that would rival Santa's. Christmas was coming and all other toy drives were closed and already handing out their goods. With nowhere willing to accept his wrapped treasures, it was looking like it was all for nothing. When suddenly the elements aligned like something out of a movie to send Jamie to the Gertrude Walden Daycare center in Stuart, Florida.
Celebrating its fifth year of collecting lists and personally fulfilling, wrapping and delivering each item, The Elf Factory is committed to granting personal wishes for children and families far and wide, and this year he has partnered with schools affected by the floods in Baton Rouge.
If a young boy making out his own list to Santa realizes that the spirit of the season is meant to touch people in a personal way, shouldn't everyone?
Children's wish lists are coming in and Jamie is focused on fulfilling them by December 19th and Jamie is hoping that the rise in popularity of events like #GivingTuesday will inspire other aspiring Santas to join the cause.
Jamie's Elf Factory is set up to take donations and requests online, at http://elffactory.org or you can just visit and read about one little guy on a mission.
Contact:
Laurie Ashbourne
[email protected]
407.421.2293
SOURCE The Elf Factory
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