Two events slated to support Lions Club’s Letters to Santa
Every year as Christmas approaches, youngsters excitedly anticipate all of the sparkle, splendor and spirit of the season and one of the most quintessential activities for the kiddos is writing a personal message to Jolly Old Saint Nick. But what happens to all of those letters posted to the North Pole?
Here in Pahrump, the local Lions Club works every year to make the season as magical as possible by collecting missives area children pen to the man in the big red suit as part of its Letters to Santa program. The Lions don’t just gather these letters and send a response from Santa Claus, though - they also hand-select gifts for each child age 12 and under who writes, based on their wish list, and then deliver them to the homes of area families so they can be placed under the tree in time for Christmas morning.
The local Letters to Santa program got its start more than two decades ago with Lion Larry Bai, who was a lifelong member and devoted supporter of the club until his passing in May of this year.
“He had discovered that all the letters kids wrote to Santa in Pahrump were being sent to Las Vegas, never to be seen again,” Sue Bai, Larry’s wife and a Lions Club member herself, detailed of the program’s history. “With the assistance of the local postmaster, the letters were given to the club and this project began. Lions Clubs are dedicated to providing service to our community and the Pahrump Valley Lions Club believes Christmas is all about the children. We are so excited to provide gifts and letters from Santa in hopes that all the kids have a very merry Christmas.”
This season marks 24 years for the local Letters to Santa program and as attention turns to the merriment of the holidays, the Lions Club is gearing up for another major push to provide presents to the valley’s youth. It’s a feat that only true elves can pull off, with hundreds of gifts delivered annually, and the Lions Club cannot do it all on their own. Community partnerships have always helped the Letters to Santa program thrive and for the start of the 2025 effort, Artesian Cellars and the Pahrump Moose Lodge #808 are both jumping aboard the sleigh.
This weekend will see two community events aimed at raising donations for the Lions Club so the Letters to Santa program can continue to bring the joy of the holidays to local homes.
Artesian Cellars will be holding its monthly First Friday event on Nov. 7 and the proceeds this time around are set to go to the Letters to Santa program. At this adults-only event, attendees will be treated to live music from local songstress Lynn Peterson, along with vendors, food trucks and opportunity drawings.
Next up, this Sunday the Pahrump Moose Lodge #808 on 2nd St. will be holding a Spaghetti Donation Dinner for the Letters to Santa program, with guest entertainment from Ms. Senior Golden Years, opportunity drawings and more.
At both of these events, attendees are asked to bring new, unwrapped toys that will then be used to fulfill the wishes of valley youngsters this Christmas.
The Artesian Cellars adults-only event is set for Friday, Nov. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m., at 1731 Hwy. 160.
The Pahrump Moose Lodge Spaghetti Donation Dinner is slated for Sunday, Nov. 9 from 3 to 6 p.m., at and all ages are welcome.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
