Santa’s mailbox returns to Friday Harbor

The Chamber of Commerce shares news about the return of a popular island holiday tradition.

The mailbox for letters to Santa is back! You can drop off your letters to Santa in the big, red, seasonal mailbox in front of Van Go’s Pizza at 180 Web St. Every year, a team of dedicated volunteer elves assist Santa in responding to the hundreds of letters from our community’s youth.

The organizers remind parents and caregivers that the letters to Santa must have a return address to receive a response, and the child’s name needs to be clearly printed or it will be addressed to My Dear Friend. Return times may vary — even by household. The volunteer elves try to respond to letters in the order they come in, but the elves work at different paces as their own lives allow. To get a child’s original letter back, include a stamped envelope with return address and a note requesting it back.

Each elf creates a few original story templates for reply letters to get through the hundreds received. For more personalized responses, kids can ask questions, or a caregiver can sneak in a note about what the child has done that year. The elves do not address a child’s gift request out of respect for caregivers’ choices and financial situations.

The deadline to drop off a letter and receive a response is Tuesday, Dec. 20.

This program is run entirely by volunteers who put their love and free time into making it happen. They do not get paid and do it for the love of Christmas. Friday Harbor Trading Post, the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, and Van Go’s Pizza are this year’s sponsors.

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