A Holiday message to our Hillside Special Santas

Because of our many Hillside Special Santas within the Hillside Family of Agencies communities, more than 5,900 children and families are celebrating their holidays with toys, warm clothing, books, dolls, and games. Teens are enjoying their music, jewelry, books & journals, hoodies, hats & gloves and colognes. Families are thrilled with their grocery gift cards and we were thrilled with cash donations to purchase what was needed most.

You are the Hillside Special Santa who made it all happen, whether through the donation of a gift or gifts, volunteering your time, or organizing your office, scout, school or community group to participate. To you, we thank you more than we could ever say.

We also thank our many Hillside Special Santa Community Partners who we provided gift collection boxes and gift wish tags in close to 100 locations throughout Western and Central New York. Our Hillside Special Santa media partners provided creative messages about our kids and how to get involved. Thank you.

What a happy day for our children and families, and you too. Be happy today because you have done a wonderful thing for a child or family who you will never know, but they know you. You are their Hillside Special Santa. Feel good!

Happy holidays to you and your family from all of us here at Hillside Family of Agencies.

Realtors make a difference

For the past several years, the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors (GRAR) and their Holiday Party Task Force have put on a holiday party for the organization’s members. The Holiday Party Task Force is made up of volunteers that plan the event and work to sell tickets to the organization’s members.

Through a message on each ticket, the Task Force asks each ticket buyer to bring a new, unwrapped gift to the event for Hillside Special Santas.

“We have a tremendous group of volunteers that make up the Holiday Party Task Force. I have been involved over the last several years and we usually average 200 gifts at our event. It is a tremendous sight to see the table expand with gifts as the Realtors enter the event,” says John Antetomaso, Re/Max Plus Realtor and GRAR member.

As in past years, Hillside Special Santas Director Sally Bohne attended this year’s event.

“Sally has become a great friend of our event,” says John.

He adds that the party and the gift donations are just another way that Realtors in the Rochester area make a difference in the community.

“If you ask any of us, we are so happy to do it,” says John.The children and families that benefit from the gifts the Realtors donated to Hillside Special Santas are also happy because the simple act of donating a gift has helped to make their holiday brighter.

Bright Spot shines on Hillside Special Santas

Hillside Special Santas was featured in the Bright Spot during the 6:00 p.m. newscast on 13 WHAM TV on December 19. Here is a link to the clip which features the kids from Neil Armstrong Elementary School's Service Club, volunteers from Xerox, and Santa Claus himself.

http://tinyurl.com/6vuwq3

Word is, Santa made the trip to Hillside Special Santas Rochester Region Headquarters on a motorcycle. There may be pictures. Check back soon!

Hillside Special Santas is in need of...

Hillside Special Santas has just a few more days to fulfill the holiday wishes of the 5,900 youth form over 4,000 families Hillside Family of Agencies serves.

In order to meet the program's gift goal, Hillside Special Santas really needs online donations.

It's a simple, and yet very effect way to make a difference this holiday.

Log on to http://www.hillside.com and follow the reindeer to the Hillside Special Santas section of the site. Click on the "Donate Online" link to access the online donation page.

Each donation helps to make the holidays brighter for the youth and families Hillside serves.

Time’s running out to become a Hillside Special Santa

Don’t miss a chance to make the holidays brighter for a child in need this year.

With only a short time remaining to collect gifts this holiday season, Hillside Special Santas is asking anyone who has not donated a gift to consider doing so. That’s because the program’s goal is to collect more than 17,700 gifts for 5,900 youth from 4,000 families across New York.

“That is a lot of gifts. But, most people would be surprised at how even the smallest gift will help us meet out goal this year,” said Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas director.

Bohne notes that Hillside Special Santas asks for new, unwrapped gifts that cost less than $25.

“We have several gifts that are requested more often than others. The issue is that as we fill more requests and get closer to the end of this year’s collection campaign, we are running low on those gifts,” said Bohne.

The most requested gifts that Hillside Special Santas is still in need of include: hats, gloves, scarves, and socks; gift and food cards; hoodies for teens and all ages; arts and crafts (moon sand, jewelry, and art supplies); games–both electronic and board games; duffel or sports bags; basketballs, footballs, and fishing poles; toiletries, lotions, and make-up kits; sports watches for girls and guys; new books for all ages–babies through teens; and learning toys for babies, tots, and kids.

For information on specific gift needs and where to drop off last-minute donations in your area, call (585) 256-7630, (716) 848-6416, or (315) 258-2191.

Donations can also be made online by following the reindeer at http://www.hillside.com.

One week left!

That's right, we're down to the final stretch in this year's Hillside Special Santas campaign. December 17 is the last day to drop gifts off at our Community Partner locations this year.

Hillside Special Santas is still in need of our most requested gifts, such as hoodies, winter attire (gloves, hats, mittens, etc.), sports supplies (basketballs, footballs, etc.), and gift cards.

Here's a story from Community Partner News 10 Now that talks a little more about the effort this year in Syracuse and the surrounding communities in the final days of this year's campaign.

http://tinyurl.com/6qvxsk

Hillside Special Santas hits 100!

Hillside Special Santas has hit 100 drop off locations for the first time in its storied history.

Thanks go out to all of the Community Partners that have made this milestone possible.

Your support of Hillside Special Santas is truly a gift to all of the children and families that are helped through the donations dropped off by caring members of the community at your locations.

Holiday spirit drives Hillside Special Santas deposits up this year

This holiday season, the spirit of giving is driving the number of Hillside Special Santa gift deposits at all Canandaigua National Bank & Trust branches up.

That is good news, because Hillside Special Santas this year will help more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families across New York served by Hillside Family of Agencies.

Hillside Special Santas is working to meet this gift goal by partnering with businesses and organizations to extend the opportunity to those in the community to help make the holidays brighter for youth and families.

As Hillside Special Santas Community Partners, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust branches will display hundreds of Hillside Special Santas gift tags, each one describing a specific child’s wish, this year on holiday trees in their lobbies. Visitors to the any of the bank branches are asked to take a tag from the tree home and purchase a corresponding gift. New, unwrapped gifts should be deposited by December 17 to the Canandaigua National Bank & Trust location where they picked up the gift tag.

“The partnership with Canandaigua National Bank has been a true gift. It is a unique opportunity to focus on each organization’s commitment to building a positive spirit throughout the community,” says Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas director.

Last year alone, more than 1,400 gifts for Hillside Special Santas were deposited at Canandaigua National Bank branches.

What one person knows about Hillside and Hillside Special Santas

We just wanted to share with all of the Hillside Special Santas blog readers a comment that came into Hillside Family of Agencies via a question on the homepage asking “What do you know about Hillside?”

“I have heard about Hillside for years, but never really had any personal experience or contact. Recently, I was in Honeoye Falls at Custom BrewCrafters and saw a Christmas tree with children's names on it. Once I realized what it was, I took two cards from the tree. I'm looking forward to making purchases to make Christmas memorable and special for these little ones. What a great idea this is and I'm grateful for organizations like Hillside who take the time and effort to make Christmas and the holidays something more for kids than "just another day. Thank you.”

The cards this person took were Hillside Special Santas gift tags that our community partner Custom Brewcrafters displayed in their lobby. We thank them and this anonymous respondent for their efforts in helping to make the holiday brighter for the children and families Hillside serves.

Stories and photos from Novemeber 19 event

Here a couple of links to news stories on RNews and News 8 Now about the event held on November 19 to celebrate the start of Hillside Special Santas for the 27th year.

RNews: http://tinyurl.com/5azsa4

News 8 Now: http://tinyurl.com/6owho4

Also, here are some photos from the event. As you'll see from the news coverage, Fourth and Fifth graders from Gates-Chili's Neil Armstrong Elementary School service club came and served as "gift experts." They made the event fun, and helped us all to remember what Hillside Special Santas is all about.

Drive in and help out this holiday season

This holiday season, people that drive in to Driver’s Village will be able to help out youth and families throughout the community.

As a Hillside Special Santas Community Partner, Driver’s Village will display hundreds of Hillside Special Santas gift tags-each one describing a specific child’s wish-this year in the center of the inside shoppes. Visitors to Driver’s Village are asked to take a tag home after their visit, and purchase a corresponding gift. New, unwrapped gifts should be returned by December 13 to Driver’s Village.

This is the first year that Driver's Village is a Hillside Special Santas Community Partner, and Hillside Special Santas Director Sally Bohne says their participation is “truly a gift.”

“Driver's Village shows true dedication to youth and families by the simple act of making Hillside Special Santas gift tags available to the many people that visit their location," says Bohne.

Donations to Hillside Special Santas dropped off at Driver’s Village will benefit more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families served by Hillside Family of Agencies, including hundreds of youth and families from Syracuse and the surrounding communities.

Holiday giving does a body good

This holiday season, the Buffalo Athletic Clubs are not just places where people can get in shape. They’re also places where people can do their bodies good by giving back to the community.

As Hillside Special Santas Community Partners, the Buffalo Athletic Club (BAC) will display hundreds of Hillside Special Santas gift tags, each one describing a specific child’s wish, this year in their lobbies. BAC patrons and visitors to any of the BAC locations are asked to take a tag home after a workout, and purchase a corresponding gift. New, unwrapped gifts should be returned by December 17 to the BAC location where they picked up the gift tag.

Hillside Special Santas Director Sally Bohne veiws the three-year partnership with the BAC as a unique opportunity to focus on each organization’s commitment to healthy living, wellness, and working to build a positive spirit throughout the community.

Last year alone, patrons that came to the BAC helped to collect more than 700 gifts for Hillside Special Santas. This holiday season, donations to Hillside Special Santas dropped off at the BAC will benefit more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families served by Hillside Family of Agencies.

Doors open on this year's giving effort

The doors are officially open for the 2008 Hillside Special Santas holiday giving effort in Rochester and the surrounding areas.

A ceremony was held today at Eastman Hall on Hillside Children’s Center’s Monroe Avenue campus to mark the occasion. The event commemorated the start of the 27th year that Hillside Special Santas and the program’s Community Partners will work together in a giving spirit to provide new, unwrapped gifts to more than 5,900 youth and their families served by Hillside Family of Agencies.

“The growth of Hillside Special Santas and what it has meant to the youth and families is truly reflective of that special human quality that is shown when there are others in need,” says Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas director.

The special quality Bohne talks about is also shown through the commitment that several businesses in the region have made this year to help Hillside Special Santas reach its goal to provide more than 17,700 gifts this holiday season.

One such Community Partner was on hand at the opening ceremony. Sue Schiffhauer from the Rochester Athletic Club (RAC) joined in the festivities and celebrated their third year of displaying hundreds of Hillside Special Santas gift tags, each one describing a specific child’s wish, in their lobbies. RAC patrons and visitors are asked to take a tag home after a workout, and purchase a corresponding gift. New, unwrapped gifts should be returned to the RAC location where they picked up the gift tag.

“The partnership with the Rochester Athletic Club is a unique opportunity to focus on each organization’s commitment to healthy living, wellness, and working to build a positive spirit throughout the community,” says Bohne.

In photo: Sue from RAC is on the left next to Sally. Look for more pictures here soon from the event!

Good food and the opportunity to do good

This holiday season, the Duchess Restaurant in Penfield, NY is not just serving up good food. They’re serving up an opportunity to do good, too.

As a Hillside Special Santas Community Partner, Duchess Restaurant will display hundreds of Hillside Special Santas gift tags, each one describing a specific child’s wish, this year. Diners at the restaurant are asked to take a tag home after enjoying their meal, and purchase a corresponding gift. New, unwrapped gifts should be returned by December 17 to the restaurant.

“The partnership with Duchess is truly a gift,” says Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas director. “The simple act of making Hillside Special Santas gift tags available to the many people that eat at Duchess Restaurant demonstrates a true dedication to youth and families.”

Last year alone, patrons that came to the restaurant located on helped to collect more than 400 gifts for Hillside Special Santas.

It's that time of year again in Syracuse!

Hillside Special Santas announces that it is partnering with Y94FM, News 10 Now, Regal Cinemas, and Carousel Center to collect new, unwrapped gifts this holiday season in an effort to extend to the community the opportunity to make the holidays more meaningful for Central New York youth and families Hillside Family of Agencies serves.

The effort will kick off on Saturday, November 22 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Carousel Center first level outside the H&M store. Y94FM's Kathy Rowe and her morning crew, as well as Lacey Johnson from News 10 Now will be on hand during the event.

Everyone donating a new, unwrapped gift during the kickoff event will receive a special thank you gift, while supplies last. In addition, people stopping by the drop off location can register to win tickets from Y94FM to the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Pops concert in December.

The gift collection drive will be ongoing at Carousel Center until Tuesday, December 17. During that time, two Hillside Special Santas-decorated gift collection boxes will be placed in the mall. One will be outside of Old Navy and the other will be near the main entrance to H&M.

Hillside Special Santas will help more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families served by Hillside Family of Agencies this holiday season. Donations of new, unwrapped gifts help to make the holiday season brighter for local youth and families in need.

Hillside Special Santas solves a holiday dilemma

Hillside Special Santas knows how to solve the dilemma of picking out the perfect gift for teens during the holidays. Let them choose the gift!

By choosing gifts and donating them to Hillside Special Santas, teens in Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and the surrounding areas make a difference in the life of one or more of their peers during the holidays.

This holiday season, Hillside Special Santas will help more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families served by Hillside Family of Agencies. The majority of those youth are teenagers.

“Teens often tell me that it is fun for them to go shopping and pick out gifts to donate to Hillside Special Santas. They say it gives them a good feeling because they know the gifts will help other teens that are need in their community,” says Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas director.

Bohne, along with all of the members of the Hillside Special Santas staff, encourage teens to consider joining in the fun and becoming Hillside Special Santas this year to help make the holiday season brighter for local youth and their families that are in need.

Teens can help teens by collecting pennies this holiday season

It’s time to look under the sofa cushions and gather up all of the loose change. The 98 PXY High School Challenge is about to begin, and it is a way teens in the Greater Rochester area can make a difference in the lives of other teens this holiday season.

Friday November 7, 14, and 21 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Bon Ton wing of the Marketplace Mall, 98PXY’s Kasper will be live on the air and accepting pennies in support of area high schools. The Rochester area high school that collects the most pennies will win a free concert at the school by national recording artist Donnie Klang. Advantage Federal Credit Union will be counting the pennies to determine the winning school.

“It’s my favorite time of year! I look forward to raising money for the children of Hillside, and making this year bigger and better than ever,” says 98PXY’s Kasper.

Proceeds from the 98PXY High School Challenge will benefit Hillside Special Santas. Hillside Special Santas will help more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families served by Hillside Family of Agencies this holiday season.

“Teens often tell me that collecting the pennies and donating them during the 98PXY High School Challenge gives them a good feeling because they know the money will help other teens and their families that are in need right here in our community,” says Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas manager.

In addition to the 98 PXY High School Challenge, another fun way for teens to help teens this holiday season is by clicking on the Hillside Special Santas Reindeer at Hillside.com. Teens can also call Hillside Special Santas at (585) 256-7630 for ideas about how to get started.

Hillside Special Santas offers time-saving holiday donation tools

Do you want to help others this holiday season, but don’t have any time to do so? If that is the case, Hillside Special Santas has a way for you to help children and families in need and save time. Simply log on to the Hillside Special Santas Web site.

Hillside Special Santas will help more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families served by Hillside Family of Agencies this holiday season. To meet its goal, the program has created a user-friendly web experience for those in the community who want to make a difference in the lives of children and families this holiday season.

“At Hillside Special Santas, we understand that time is a precious commodity–especially during the holidays. That’s why our Web site has several time-saving options for donors so that they can help youth and families in need when and how they prefer,” said Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas manager.

One of these options is the Hillside Special Santas online Personal Shopper tool. By going to the Web site (http://www.hillside.com/Donate/Santas/index.htm), time-strapped browsers select what gift they want to donate and in whatever amount they prefer—all without the hassle of trudging out to the store to buy it themselves. Individuals, families, students, community groups, businesses, religious organizations, and all others have the option of selecting any number of the most needed gifts this holiday season and designate where the gift or gifts will actually be donated.

Hillside Special Santas Personal Shopper gift options range in price from $5 to $25 each, and include such items as learning toys, books, journals, gloves, hoodies, portable music players, teen-oriented gift cards, and grocery gift cards. Donations are made through a secure server by credit card. Gifts can be designated to youth in services in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, or wherever most needed.

In addition to the Personal Shopper, anyone accessing the site can also utilize the online donation feature. The money donated in this manner will go directly to Hillside Special Santas and help the program provide such things as grocery gift certificates to families in need.

To become a Hillside Special Santa or to learn more about the online personal shopper tool log on to the Hillside Special Santas Web site, or follow the reindeer at www.Hillside.com.

Follow the new reindeer logo to become a Hillside Special Santa

Much like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer leads the way for Santa Claus in the popular holiday tune, Hillside Special Santas has a reindeer leading the way for children and families served by Hillside Family of Agencies.

The reindeer is the holiday giving program’s new logo, replacing the three Santa hat design that had been utilized for many years.

Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas program manager, believes the reindeer was the perfect choice for the new logo because it is an image that is reminiscent of children and the fun of the holidays.

“We hope that people will follow the reindeer and become a Hillside Special Santa this year,” says Bohne, noting that her favorite moments during Hillside Special Santas come when she is listening to a donor tell her how excited he or she is about giving gifts to the children and families.

“Many donors show me each gift they’ve purchased and I tell them the joy they’re feeling is not even close to how much joy a child feels,” says Bohne.

The Hillside Special Santas Reindeer is hoping you will find him at www.Hillside.com. By clicking on the Reindeer, individuals, families, students, community groups, businesses, religious organizations, and all others can learn how to make the holiday season brighter for the 5,900 youth from 4,000 families in central and western New York served by Hillside Family of Agencies that Hillside Special Santas will help this year.

Bohne adds that families and office groups looking for holiday projects are just a click away from the Hillside Special Santas Reindeer. There she says they will learn about the needs of the children and families in the greater Buffalo, Syracuse, or Rochester area.

Follow the Reindeer to www.Hillside.com and become a Hillside Special Santa today!

Now is the time to become a Hillside Special Santa

It’s not too early to begin planning for the holidays. And it’s not too early to become a Hillside Special Santa and help youth and families build better futures.

This holiday season, Hillside Special Santas will help more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families across New York served by Hillside Family of Agencies.

“Each year, the people that donate new gifts and clothing to Hillside Special Santas are truly reflective of that special human quality that is shown when there are others in need,” says Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas manager, noting that now is the time to make a difference in the lives of these children and families.

Bohne, along with all of the members of the Hillside Special Santas staff, encourage individuals, families, students, community groups, businesses, religious organizations, and all others to consider joining in the fun and becoming Hillside Special Santas this year to help make the holiday season brighter for local youth and their families that are in need. To learn how to become a Hillside Special Santa, call (585) 256-7630, (716) 848-6416, or (315) 258-2191, or follow the reindeer at www.Hillside.com.

“Thanks to the more than 25 years of generous support from of all of the Hillside Special Santas in the community, Hillside Family of Agencies is able to reach out to thousands of youth and families each year through Hillside Special Santas. As our needs continue to grow, your support becomes even more valuable,” says Sally.

Don't Open 'til September 15

Check back here on Monday, September 15, for exciting news about the 2008 Hillside Special Santas program!

It's "Christmas in July"

Hillside Special Santas and WARM 101.3 are teaming up to bring Christmas to Rochester a little early this year. Tune in to WARM 101.3 on the 25th to hear all of your holiday favorites–July 25th that is!

As part of its Christmas in July promotion, WARM 101.3 will start playing Christmas music at 5:00 p.m. and will not stop until $5,000 dollars has been raised for Hillside Special Santas, the Hillside Family of Agencies’ holiday giving program that offers the community an opportunity to help youth and families during the holiday season.

Not in the holiday mood just yet? Donations will be taken online prior to the promotion at https://www.hillside.com/Donate/Christmas.asp. If $5,000 is raised before the July 25, officials at WARM 101.3 say they won't bring the "fa, la, la, la ,la," but Hillside Special Santas will be able to get a jump start on its goal by providing gifts to 101 of the 7,500 children they will be helping this holiday season.

Now entering its 27th year, Hillside Special Santas began with distribution of donated gifts stored in a Hillside leader’s office and has grown into a holiday giving program serving children and families in 24 counties throughout New York State. This year, Hillside Special Santas has expanded to provide holiday cheer to more than 7,500 youth—1,900 more than in previous years.

For more information on Hillside Special Santas, please log on to Hillside.com. Follow the reindeer, and join the merriment of Christmas in July.