Rutherford County residents wrote almost 8,500 Letters to Santa in December, then mailed them to the North Pole via bright red mailboxes stationed inside Redstone Federal Credit Union’s area branches and several local elementary schools throughout the month.

Redstone Federal Credit Union presented a check for $8,583 dollars to the Child Advocacy Center on Tuesday—one dollar for each letter received through their Letters to Santa campaign “Each of these letters listed a child’s holiday wishes—and each letter supported child abuse victims in our community,” said Child Advocacy Center Accountant Jessica Wauchek.

“Children helping other children is what made this special,” said Child Advocacy Center director Sharon De Boer. Children’s’ parents and grandparents also sent their Christmas wishes to Jolly Old Saint Nick. “Believing in Santa and the magic of Christmas was the only requirement to participate,” said De Boer.

The Child Advocacy Center is a 501c3 nonprofit agency that works as a team with Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute child abuse cases and help child victims and their families heal from the trauma.  In the last 19 years the Child Protective Investigative Team has worked together to assist over 21,000 individuals and trained over 10,000 adults how to protect children from child sexual abuse.

“The Child Advocacy Center is grateful to Redstone Federal Credit Union for hosting the Letters to Santa campaign and generously donating the funds to the Center,” concluded De Boer.  “Their generous gift will help provide forensic interviews of child abuse victims and crisis intervention services for their families.”

The Letters to Santa campaign is an annual event held each year by Redstone Federal Credit Union. Be sure to watch for it next Christmas and start thinking about your wish list now!

Photo: Redstone Federal Credit Union Representatives presenting check to Child Advocacy Center

(L to R): Mike Panesi, VP of Redstone’s Tennessee Market; Sharon De Boer, Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford and Cannon Counties Executive Director; Lori Cutler, Business Development Officer with Redstone Federal Credit Union;  Jessica Wauchek, Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford and Cannon Counties Accountant; and Francesca Salas, Member Service Representative with Redstone Federal Credit Union