OUR STORY: A Christmas Charity for Children
It started with a Borrowed Santa Suit...
Long before Santa & Mrs. C.'s Kids became a Christmas charity for children, there was simply a borrowed Santa suit, a fundraiser for some dogs, and an unexpected love for becoming Santa.
Where the Story Really Began
Long before Santa & Mrs. C.'s Kids became an organization, there was a little boy growing up in Alcester, South Dakota who simply believed in the magic of Christmas.
David was raised by his grandparents, who didn't have much money but somehow always made sure there were presents waiting for him on Christmas morning. It wasn't until years later that he learned they hadn't done it alone.
Friends and neighbors, including Ron and Becky Treiber and his godparents, Ron and Jean Nelson, had quietly helped his grandparents during some of those Christmases They never sought recognition. They simply made sure a child had something to open on Christmas morning.
When David learned the truth as a teenager, he made himself a promise: someday, when he was able, he would do the same for another child.
Lisa grew up knowing the other side of that story. Her family was often the family helping children who needed a little extra Christmas magic.
Neither knew then where those two stories would eventually lead.
Becoming Santa & Mrs. Claus
About 15 years ago, a friend asked Dave to play Santa for boxer rescue fundraiser at Cliff Avenue Greenhouse in Sioux Falls. With a borrowed Santa suit and no idea where the journey would eventually lead, he said yes.
There was no grand plan.
He simply loved it.
In 2015, Lisa joined Dave at the final boxer rescue fundraiser, helping behind the scenes while he portrayed Santa. A few years later, she stepped into a cold of her own as Mrs. Claus, and Santa officially had his partner in Christmas magic.
By 2020. Santa had become much more than a suite Dave put on at Christmas. Dave and Lisa began talking seriously about how they could use that role to give back to the children and families in their own community.
For Dave, the idea was deeply personal. Having been raised by his grandparents and knowing firsthand how much a simple act of kindness at Christmas can mean to a child, he wanted to help create those same moments of hope for others.
What if they could create something that helped local families make Christmas magical for their own children?
For the next several years, they researched, planned, developed ideas, designed a logo, recruited others and slowly turned that question into an organization.
How "Santa & Mrs. C.'s Kids" Got Its Name
In many ways, they had become their kids too.
It was Lisa who came up with the name Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids.
The name was intentional and deeply personal. Unable to have children together, Dave and Lisa had found a special connection with the children they met through their roles as Santa and Mrs. Claus. In many ways, the children they had the privilege of bringing joy to became “their kids” at Christmastime.
And “Mrs. C.” stayed exactly that way. It was part of Lisa’s original idea, part of the organization’s identity, and part of the name from the very beginning.
Children Received Christmas Assistance
What had begun years earlier as an idea between David and Lisa was no longer just an idea. Santa & Mrs. C.'s Kids was helping make Christmas magic happen.
The First Christmas
Our First Christmas - 2024
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In the summer of 2024, the idea became official. Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids was formally organized, a board was established, and the work of turning years of Christmas spirit into a community nonprofit began.
That fall brought the first Royal Ball, along with the organization’s first Christmas season serving local families. By the end of that first year, Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids had helped bring Christmas magic to approximately 40 children in the community.
Our Second Christmas - 2025
It Takes a Village
Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids may have started with an idea, but it quickly became clear that its mission would never belong to just a handful of people.
By the organization’s second Christmas, the number of children receiving assistance had more than doubled.
Behind every one of those children was an extraordinary community.
Individuals donated. Businesses contributed money and gifts. Volunteers gathered to shop, sort, and wrap. Local businesses and organizations created Giving Trees and collected gifts. Community partners offered secure pickup locations. School employees, board members, and volunteers helped connect families with assistance.
Some gave money. Some bought toys. Some gave their time. Some offered space. Some simply asked:
“What can we do to help?”
What began with David and Lisa had become something much larger.
It had become a village.
Children Received
Christmas Assistance
On the first wrapping day of the organization's second Christmas, the scale of what had happened suddenly became real. Surrounded by gifts and volunteers, David heard just how many children the organization would be able to help. Seeing it all together for the first time brought him to happy tears.
In only its second Christmas, something that had once existed only in conversations between David and Lisa had grown far beyond anything they had imagined.
And none of it happened alone.
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The Magic is in the Giving
For Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids, providing Christmas assistance has never been about taking Christmas morning away from a parent or guardian. It is about helping make that moment possible.
Families share information about their children and the things they need or hope to find under the tree. From there, volunteers shop, organize, and wrap each child’s gifts while carefully protecting the family’s privacy.
When everything is ready, parents and guardians privately receive the information they need to pick up their children’s gifts from one of several trusted community locations.
There are no labels telling a child the gifts came from Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids. There is no need for the organization to receive the credit.
When Christmas morning arrives, those gifts belong to the family.
The parent or guardian decides what goes under the tree, what goes in a stocking, what comes from Santa, and what comes from them.
Because the goal isn’t for a child to know who bought the presents.
The goal is for a child to experience the magic of Christmas.
And Someday, They Can Become Part of the Magic
As children grow older, some eventually learn a little more about who Santa and Mrs. C. are and what Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids does.
And that’s okay.
Because believing in Christmas doesn’t have to end when childhood does. Sometimes it simply changes.
The hope is that those children will discover another kind of Christmas magic: the joy of giving to someone else.
Some young people have already begun helping with the organization’s work after learning a little of the secret. They get to see firsthand that Christmas magic isn’t only something we receive. It is something we can create for others.
And perhaps someday, children who were touched by that kindness will carry it with them, whether they remain here or eventually make their homes somewhere far away.
That’s how the magic keeps going.
What Guides US
What began with a childhood promise has grown into a community of people who believe that every child deserves to experience the magic of Christmas.
As Santa & Mrs. C.'s Kids continues to grow, that belief remains at the heart of everything we do.
Mission
Our Values
Adopted by the Board of Directors.
Adopted by the Board of Directors.
Santa & Mrs. C’s Kids remains committed to delivering the holiday spirit to underserved youth throughout the Alcester, South Dakota area. By organizing community fundraisers and local toy drives, we ensure every family enjoys a festive and heartwarming Christmas. We aim to distribute hope and build cherished traditions that motivate others to give back, promising that every child experiences the wonder of the season in a truly special and personal way.
Santa & Mrs. C’s Kids strives to be a beacon of hope and joy by bringing the magic of Christmas to children in need in the Alcester, South Dakota area. Through a collective effort of generosity and dedication in support of those in need by supplying thoughtful and quality gifts each Christmas, fostering a sense of spirit and creating lifelong memories.
What S.A.N.T.A. Means To Us
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Service: We are dedicated to serving children in need, ensuring they experience the joy and warmth of Christmas.
Act of Kindness: We believe in the power of generosity and small acts of kindness, creating lasting memories for families who need it most.
Nurturing Hope: We strive to nurture hope and inspire the magic of the Christmas season, bringing joy to children through every act of giving.
Togetherness: By working hand-in-hand with our community, we create a sense of togetherness, spreading holiday cheer and compassion to those around us.
Abundance of Joy: We are committed to sharing the abundance of joy and the magic of Christmas with every child, filling hearts with love and laughter.
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The Story Is Just Beginning
In only a few short years, an idea shared between two people has become something neither of them could have imagined.
What started with a childhood promise, a borrowed Santa suit, and a belief in the magic of Christmas has grown into a community of people determined to make sure children throughout our area experience that same magic.
And Santa & Mrs. C.’s Kids is still growing.
There are more children we hope to reach. More families we hope to support. More communities willing to join the village. More young people we hope will discover that some of the greatest Christmas magic comes not from receiving, but from giving.
There are dreams for the future, too. Dreams of reaching every child who needs us. Of never having to say there isn’t enough. Of someday creating scholarships for local young people. Maybe even, one day, having a place of our own where gifts can be collected, sorted, and wrapped, and where the spirit of Christmas can live all year long.
We don’t know exactly where this story will lead.
But we know why we’ll keep writing it.
Because somewhere there will always be a child waiting for Christmas morning.
Somewhere there will be a parent or guardian hoping to make that morning magical.
And somewhere there will be someone willing to help.
Every child deserves to experience the magic of Christmas.
And as long as there are people willing to believe in that, there will always be more magic to give.
Be Part of the Next Chapter
Whether you give a toy, make a donation, volunteer your time, host a Giving Tree, partner with us, or simply help share our story, there is a place for you in this village.