Bedford Kids: for families in Bedford, Massachusetts, and Surrounding Communities


Community Welcome to Bedford Shop Local Bedford + Neighbors Join BK Email Group Things to Do Calendar Activities + Classes Adventures Adventures Out Camps Dining with Kids Playgrounds Storytimes + Libraries Ages + StagesBaby to Preschool K-12 Parent Resources Health + Wellness Job Search Kid-Friendly Businesses Support Groups Everything Else! Mom Basics Mom Basics web site Robin's Blog Mom Basics Discussions Mom Basics Shop Bedford Kids About Us Advertise Home	Bedford Santa Shortly after the end of World War II, town selectman Clayton Morril noticed the children of a poor family as they watched Santa going into one of the churches in Bedford, Massachusetts, for a Christmas party. Though the children were excited, their father held them back as they were not members of the church. Clayton Morril saw the children's disappointment and he resolved to do something about it. The result is the Bedford Community Santa Claus Program. This is a unique community program that has operated for more than 50 years under the principles established by its founder, Clayton Morril. The chief of these principles is that any child in Bedford can be visited by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and be presented with a special Christmas gift. No child should be excluded! A Community Effort This program is a very large community volunteer effort with more than 300 dedicated current and former Bedfordites supporting Santa's visits. Last year, almost 2,300 gifts were delivered to Bedford children. Expenses are covered by generous donations; no town funds are used by this program. There is no charge for a visit from Santa. Every year, though, expenses exceed $1,000. If you would like to donate, send your donation to: Bedford Community Santa Claus Program, PO Box 797, Bedford, MA 01730. Make checks payable to BEDFORD SANTA. Get a Visit from Santa on Christmas Eve If you would like your family to participate in the Bedford Santa program, provide the appropriate information that the volunteers can use in the planning of Santa's visits. As you know, Santa has a very busy Christmas Eve schedule; advanced planning for his extra visits will make his whole evening go much better. Register for the Bedford Santa Program. Either mail in the postcard you received in the mail or call the 24-hour registration line at 781-275-1680. Provide your name, address, phone number, and number of gifts you expect Santa to deliver. If you call, please help by spelling your last name and leaving your phone number in case of questions. If you are unsure of how many gifts you want Santa to deliver, register now with your best guess and call back later to change the number. Gift Drop Day. Take the gifts to be delivered to the John Glenn Middle School as early in the day as possible. Please keep gifts small. Total number of gifts for your stop must fit inside a single, standard-sized pillowcase. The program cannot accept any gifts larger than 10" x 7" x 3" in size. One gift per child. Wrap all gifts for the same address in the same paper. Secure all wrapped gifts with tape, not string. On a detachable tag (a yellow sticky note works fine), print one family name and address on front of tag, print child's first name and age on back of tag. (If the child is a visitor, use the family name of the family the child is visiting because if volunteers must call in case of questions, they want to call the home where the gift will be delivered.) Last minute gifts. Call 781-275-7631 and leave a message to request special arrangements. On Christmas Eve Please have access to the house cleared of snow and ice. Walkway should be lighted. If you have a dog, please restrain it. Be at home from 5:30pm until Santa arrives. Please, only one photo of Santa, no more. Please, no refreshments for Santa, please! Santa tries to complete his route by 7:30pm, but he will be visiting many families and sometimes he gets delayed. If Santa does not arrive by 8:30pm, please call 617-413-3679. Important Telephone Numbers Registration Line (24 hours): 781-275-1680 Questions & Volunteers: 781-275-4813 Late Gifts or Help: 781-275-7631 Late Santa on Christmas Eve: 617-413-3679 2009 Dates late October: postcards sent to families in Bedford to fill in and return as soon as possible. November 15 (Sun): last day to return mail-in postcard or call answering machine to register. December 19 (Sat) 9am to 5pm: Bedford Santa Gift Drop-Off Day, John Glenn Middle School, McMahon Road, Bedford, MA. Come as early in the day as possible. December 24 (Wed) 5:30pm: Be waiting at your house for a visit from Bedford Santa!			Side Streets Before your next night on the town, visit Restaurant.com for big savings at local eateries. Bypass theater ticket lines. Buy movie tickets in advance at Fandango.com. Read reviews and find showtimes for any movie in the U.S.
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