Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus Club

By Cherie Hanson-Rodriguez
12:00AM / Wednesday, December 17, 2003

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Residents of Valatie in Upstate New York take pride in their Santa Club tradition

This article first appeared in the December issue of The Family Beat, Berkshire County's free family monthly newspaper.

Tucked within the rolling hills of Columbia County, New York lies Valatie (vah-LAY-shuh), a village where tradition runs strong. Considering the happiness and smiles the Valatie Santa Claus Club brings, that's a good thing.

Every Christmas, in Valatie, the sons, grandsons and nephews of World War II soldiers gather and continue the work started by their fathers, grandfathers and uncles. In 1945 Valatie veterans returning from the war were concerned that the needy local children would be getting little or nothing for Christmas in the post-war economy. The mills drove the local economy, and millwork was dying out. The holiday looked bleak in the village.

The story goes that four soldier vets were in a local tavern listening to the bartender tell a story about a child next door dying of leukemia. The soldiers immediately went out and bought a doll from the local five & dime store. As one man dressed up as Santa Claus, the others watched as Santa gave the doll to the elated little girl. Watching her reaction gave them the inspiration to do the same for every child in town. And in doing so, a legacy was born.

The Valatie Santa Claus Club prides itself as the first club of its kind in the nation, the seed of an idea that has inspired others to form. In the words of one member the club is "often imitated, but never copied." The villagers in Valatie in 1946 were so appreciative of the efforts that support grew into a work supported by the entire village that continues to this day.

In a short time, reportedly by 1947, every single child in Valatie was receiving a gift and a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve. For almost 60 years, the club has given Christmas presents to each and every child in the entire village of Valatie. Members make a great effort, beginning in November, updating records for a complete and accurate census of every village child by name. Originally the members themselves funded the club out of their own pockets.

It now depends on donations and raffles to raise the money needed to keep Santa giving annual gifts to the village children. Last year the club spent approximately $8,000 on toys and stocking stuffers. Children receive stockings with treats such as Cracker Jacks, fruit, a book or toy and sometimes a toothbrush, all suitable for their ages. Fifty-five years ago, a piece of fruit was considered a special delicacy in the winter, and so, according to tradition, children still receive a healthy orange or an apple. Also in accordance to tradition, on Christmas Eve, Santa arrives on a horse-drawn sleigh to begin the special holiday in the village. Of course, since all children then believe that Santa lives in Valatie, many letters are received at the Valatie Post Office addressed to "Santa, Valatie, New York." A special mailbox is always set up at the Valatie Post Office by late November especially for these letters. A member of the club tries to make sure that either the wish is granted or the letter answered.

This year, just like every year, the spirit of Christmas will be handed down through the generations. The same men who received presents themselves as children and have fond memories of the village Santa from their own childhood, will load their cars, SUVs and mini-vans with presents. They will deliver them for Santa and gather for the holiday festivities on Christmas Eve. Santa will arrive at the Village of Valatie Park Gazebo on December 24 at 2:00 PM to meet the children. At 4 p.m. the Santa Parade begins at Valatie Rescue and proceeds through the town with the fire truck leading the parade and with Santa pulled on his sleigh to the tune of Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus." After the parade, Santa distributes gifts on a house-by-house basis throughout the village until his "route" is complete and every child in Valatie feels special.

Valatie seems to have an almost magical connection to Santa Claus. In 1897 an eight year old girl named Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to The New York Sun, the paper that her parents usually read, asking if there really was a Santa Claus. The Sun responded with the famous editorial that has been published again and again over the years, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

Little Virginia grew up to become a teacher in the New York City school system for 47 years. She spent her retired days in Valatie, and in May of 1971, Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas died at the age of 81 in a nursing facility in Valatie, New York. How fitting that the little girl who inspired the column that has been printed each holiday season many times over and that has touched so many lives, ended up in the very village where the true spirit of Christmas lives on within the hearts of its villagers.

Valatie is located in Columbia County, off Routes 203 and 9 in the town of Kinderhook.
The Valatie Village Square Park gazebo is located across from Martin H. Glynn School on Church Street, one block north of Main Street in Valatie.