By Maddy Vitale
Dear Santa, this is what I want for Christmas …
With just three weeks before Christmas, children are hurrying to get their lists ready for Santa.
It is really nice to know that in Sea Isle City, they have a direct line to the North Pole. Children can put together their Christmas list, address it to the big man himself, and drop their letters into Santa’s personalized mailbox at City Hall.
Rest assured, the letters will go straight to Santa’s home and he will write the children back.
“Long before there were text messages or emails, children wrote their letters to Santa on paper and placed them in a mailbox,” said Sea Isle’s Public Information Officer Katherine Custer.
Santa’s bright, shiny red mailbox, complete with snow on top, is in the lobby of City Hall, which is open 24 hours a day.
The old-fashioned letter writing creates nostalgia for some, and serves as a reminder that tradition is very important to the family-friendly shore town.
“It’s so nice that the tradition of letter writing is alive and well in Sea Isle City,” Custer noted.
Children can come in and slip their very important letters into the mail slot whenever they wish with whatever toys, games, clothes and anything else they hope to find under the tree Christmas morning.
“Santa’s Mailbox gives kids one more way to enjoy their Christmas – and using the mailbox at City Hall ensures that all letters to Saint Nick will be swiftly delivered to the North Pole without delay,” Custer said.
Santa’s Mailbox is just one of the ways children can get in touch with Jolly Old Saint Nick in Sea Isle.
There is a way to even talk to Santa on the phone. The city’s Recreation Office and the Knights of Columbus are sponsoring an event dubbed “Santa’s Calling.”
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 12, Santa Claus will call children from his home in the North Pole.
All that is required is that a parent or guardian makes sure the child is at home so that he or she doesn’t miss that very special call.
To register for “Santa’s Calling,” download the form from www.seaislecitynj.us and return it either by mail to Sea Isle City Recreation, 233 JFK Blvd., Sea Isle City, 08243 or call (609) 263-0050.
For even more Christmas fun, kids can share a brunch with Santa.
On Dec. 16 at 11:30 a.m., VFW Post 1963, which is located at 301 JFK Blvd., is hosting “Brunch with Santa.” The event is being co-sponsored by the VFW and the city’s Recreation Office. Children ages 10 and under are invited to attend with their families and visit with Santa.
Custer said of this busy time in Sea Isle, “There are many family-friendly events taking place in Sea Isle City during the holiday season.”
For more information about these and other Sea Isle City events visit www.visitsicnj.com.
