Santa’s Band Elves hold fundraiser for VHHS band

Two of Santa’s elves are helping spread Christmas spirit in Vestavia Hills.

Anne Hawley and Millie Whitacre started to help bring customized letters from Santa Claus six years ago as a fundraiser for the Vestavia Hills High School band program. Hawley and Whitacre both graduated from VHHS and had sons in the band. Even after their sons graduated, Whitacre said they wanted to keep the letters coming.

“We do it as a fundraiser for the band, which was just something that is near and dear to both of our hearts, but it’s great fun going in to the community and seeing these families,” Whitacre said.

The letters are postmarked from North Pole, Alaska and are customized to the recipient. Rather than talk about gifts, Whitacre said their goal is to bring a positive message.

“It’s more fun to focus on the positive rather than, ‘Gimme, gimme, gimme,” Whitacre said.

The letters are normally written about an adventure Santa has had at the North Pole, Whitacre said, and will sometimes include goals. She said they don’t want any children reading the letters and thinking Santa thinks they are bad, but they focus on ways everyone can work to better themselves.

“He always says we all have things to work on,” Whitacre said.

A lot of the fun in the letters is focusing on the positive time of Christmas and being able to spread some of the holiday spirit. Some families have gotten letters for several years, Whitacre said, and she enjoys seeing all the ways kids grow up and hearing about what they’ve been doing.

“Christmas is so commercial, and part of the magic of it is being with your family and your friends and enjoying your time together,” she said.

The letters from Santa, provided by “Santa’s Band Elves in Vestavia” are $10 each. There is an online order form here, or questions can be sent to VHSantaElves@gmail.com.