La Grange Rotary brings holiday joy with Secret Santa program

Just like the story of Santa is shrouded in years of mystery and magic and born out of the desire to bring joy to others, so, too, is the La Grange Rotary’s Secret Santa program that began in the 1920s and survives today.

The program started with humble roots. It provided families in need with a Thanksgiving turkey and included a holiday party at which children would receive toys.

When World War II began, the program was discontinued, but in the 1980s the Kalber family brought it back to life and it has since seen many iterations before landing with the La Grange Rotary whose members coordinate the program today.

“Our community is so close-knit and giving and it really shows this time of year,” said Heather Yuknis, who has volunteered to be a head elf coordinating this year’s program. “It’s so impactful because it provides an opportunity for many children from La Grange, so it really is a way to directly give back to our community and surrounding areas.”

Yuknis is assisted in her head elf duties by Sara Edwards and Cathy Pierson and said coordinating the event is a yearlong effort that wouldn’t be possible without many kind hands involved. Coordinating the program involves hosting fundraisers to raise money for the many gifts, as well as collecting donations, coordinating children’s wish lists and planning for distribution days.

The La Grange Rotary took over the program in 2017 when Community Nurse Health Center, which had been running the program, felt restricted by new rules that limited gift giving programs from health care centers. The Rotary is able to serve between 700 and 1,000 children in need, giving each two bags of gifts.

“The gifts include things the kids may need like clothing, hats, scarves and school supplies but also a few personal wish list items specific to that child,” Yuknis said. “I’ll never forget my first year on distribution day when I handed a mother a bag with a gift from her child’s wish list and she just broke down in tears of joy.”

Yuknis has been part of the event for three years and enjoys distribution day the most, she said. She said the volunteers are really the people who make the event happen. Volunteers range in age from high school students to people in their 80s.

Businesses support the event by putting out donation bins and sponsoring it throughout the year, Pierson said. Several local groups, including the Lyons Township High School Student Council, Grace Lutheran Church and Hinsdale Hospital, sponsor hundreds of children. Local businesses and churches collect toys and individuals host parties where attendees bring gifts to donate.

“The Secret Santa program is truly a community effort,” Pierson said. “The Rotary Club of La Grange is so very grateful to all of the individuals, businesses, civic groups, churches and other entities in our community that support the program and ensure that the children and families in need in our community enjoy a happy holiday season.”