These Skiing Santas Don't Need Reindeer to Bring Gifts to Children

An army of Santas appeared to take a day off from ringing bells beside buckets of donated cash and hearing Christmas wishes from children in malls last Sunday to hit the slopes in Maine. But don’t be grinchy about that — it was all for a good cause.

As many as 300 of these slick Nicks took part in the “Santa Sunday” event in Newry. And some of them looked a little too buff to be jolly old elves! These skiers and snowboarders raised $8,000. The money was for an education nonprofit. It's called The River Fund Maine.

Mixed among the more sporty Kris Kringles were donor Clauses of all ages and sizes. They included children and grandparents dressed in red and white Santa suits. And they wore pom-pom stocking caps, too. This exact gear was actually required. Snow plankers who joined the fun received two full-day lift tickets in exchange for showing up at the group photo shoot before the run. Then, they plunked down $27 donations each. The Sunday River ski resort has hosted the event for 23 years.

The snow gliders weren’t deterred by the fog that covered the slopes that day. "Don’t worry, Santa’s sleigh is equipped with fog lights," Sunday River stated in an Instagram post.

The money the skiers raised will go to pay for River Fund educational programs. It will also pay for college scholarships. That, and recreation for children from low-income households.

While this event brings holiday cheer to the resort, its deeper impact lies in supporting children, said Sunday River resort President Dana Bullen in a statement. “Each year, the kindness of Santa Sunday participants (helps) to (create) impactful (learning) opportunities for our local students."

Gif from GIPHY courtesy of @storyful.

Reflect: What are some creative ways you think people can come together during the holiday season to support and help those in need within their communities?