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‘Warms your heart’: Gaston County family makes tradition of gifting to local children

RANLO, N.C. — Santa himself stopped by a Ranlo neighborhood Saturday afternoon to drop off gifts ahead of Christmas.

Earlier this week, Channel 9′s Gina Esposito spoke with Donna Norman and her family who act as Santa’s elves in their community.

Busy in “Santa’s Workshop,” a space they created to go through letters, they write down what each child asked for.

“One of my favorites is this letter from Logan,” Norman told Esposito. “It has this footprint on it, and I thought that was just precious.”

“I want all the homeless to find a home. I love you, Santa,” another letter read.

On Saturday, Santa, Mrs. Claus and even the Grinch came to “North Pole Road” to deliver the gifts on the children’s wish lists.

Parents said it was a great way to connect with one another.

“How good it is for the community. It’s great outreach. It gives a lot of opportunity to families who are in need and just to spread the overall joy of the season with everybody,” parent Bobby Ransom said.

Thanks to donations from the community, including the Ranlo Police Department, the family was able to buy a unique gift for every child, even the kids who didn’t ask for anything.

The Norman family dedicates the now annual event to someone in the community. Last year, they honored their own family member, Bobby Payne. This December, Doris Caldwell is being recognized. Caldwell lived in the home in the 1950s and was a special part of the town of Ranlo.

“I like being part of a community where people come work together,” Donna Norman said. “I tell Jessie all the time that I want Ranlo to become Hallmark.”

Jessie Norman used social media to create buzz for the event last year and word spread even more in 2021. So far, more than 70 kids have dropped off letters, almost double the amount from last year.

The Norman family is looking forward to connecting with more families at Saturday’s giveaway.

“We love seeing the smile on the kid’s faces and actually getting to interact with kids you’d never see,” Jessie Norman said. “And for them to say thank you, it just warms your heart.”

(WATCH BELOW: CMPD ‘Explorers Christmas Project’ provides gifts to families in need)