How one elementary school is sharing the spirit of the season

Students in Gates-Chili’s Neil Armstrong Elementary School service club this year are orchestrating a school-wide toy collection drive to benefit Hillside Special Santas this year.

According to Danielle Hoch, fifth grade teacher and service club advisor, the students will be collecting toys until Thursday, December 13. The service club project supports The 40 Developmental Assets of student involvement in the community and the Gates Chili school district.

The students in the service club were in charge of making the posters to promote the toy drive, as well as collect the toys, and deliver them to Hillside Special Santas.

“The kids are super excited and are anticipating the drive’s turn out,” says Hoch, noting that as a community over 12 boxes of toys have been collected thus far with two more days to go.

The Neil Armstrong faculty also wanted to contribute, and as a result, Hoch says they have collected over three boxes of items from the Hillside Special Santas Top 10 list.

The students plan on delivering the gifts to Hillside Special Santas headquarters at 1183 Monroe Avenue in Rochester on Friday, December 14.

This year, Hillside Special Santas has expanded to help more than 5,600 children and their families served by Hillside Family of Agencies in Western and Central New York, so the donations could not have come at a better time.

“For the students to put forth such an effort is truly reflective of that special human quality that is shown when there are others in need,” says Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas manager.

For more information on becoming a Hillside Special Santa like the members of the Neil Armstrong Elementary School’s service club, call (585) 256-7630, email santa@hillside.com, or follow the reindeer at www.hillside.com.

MNG update

Reports are coming in this morning that the "MNG" (Most Needed Gifts) at Hillside Special Santas this week are hoodies ("hooded sweatshirts" for those old enough to remember them being called that).

Click here to learn more.

Beanie Babies overtake Special Santas headquarters

Karen Daniel, of Pittsford, has been collecting Beanie Babies for a while. This year, she thought it would be a good time to donate what she has been collecting.
She wanted the toys to go to children who needed them. She learned of Hillside Special Santas through her employer, and the connection was made.
Today, she stopped by headquarters and delivered some of the beanies. She said she still has another delivery to make, but in total, she will donate 750 beanies to Hillside Special Santas this year.
Thanks so much for your efforts Karen!

Help us to meet the most requested gifts need

Hillside Special Santas staff members are hard at work making sure that all of the new, unwrapped gifts that have been donated this holiday season are making their way to the more than 5,600 children and their families that Hillside Family of Agencies serves.

However, Hillside Special Santas staff members are in need of some very special gifts that are in short supply that the children have asked for.

Believe it or not, the most in demand gift being asked for from Hillside Special Santas this week has been (click here to find out).

Help Hillside Special Santas fulfill the holiday wishes of many of the children that Hillside serves by donating the most needed gift of the week through Hillside Special Santas personal shopper tool or contact Hillside Special Santas for more on how to donate.

Thank you for your support of Hillside Special Santas and Happy Holidays!

Deloitte & Touche help out Hillside Special Santas

A great group of Deloitte & Touche employees from the firm's Rochester office stepped up and spent a good portion of the day volunteering. Thank you so much for your efforts!

Look who's volunteering at Special Santas headquarters

Monroe County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo, second from the left, and some of her staff members (Justin Roj, far left; Diana Christodaro, second from the right) spent a morning volunteering at Hillside Special Santa headquarters. Joining them in this photo is our very own Sally Bohne.

Ready. Set. WRAP!

Everybody in Buffalo that likes to wrap presents should plan on joining Hillside Special Santas Holiday Partners WGRZ, 96.1 WJYE, First Niagara, the Buffalo Athletic Clubs, and the BAC for Women at the this year's Holiday Wrapping Party from 8:30 a.m. to Noon this Saturday, December 8, at the Walden Galleria Community Room.

For more information, check out this site.