This holiday season, as we have done for at least a quarter century, thanks to the supporters of Running Strong for American Indian Youth®, hundreds of Native American children on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and elsewhere in Indian Country will experience the joy of Christmas at holiday parties where they will meet “Santa” and receive gifts.
The Running Strong Santa will be ‘traveling’ to visit our Native partners in Oklahoma and South Dakota this holiday season!
On Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, “Santa” will drop off thousands of toys at our Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center to then be distributed, by sleigh, truck, or by foot, to children throughout the reservation, as well as being driven to remote families by our Mobile Market ‘turned’ Mobile “Santa’s Sleigh” (complete with antlers on the roof and a cheery red nose on the dash).
Also on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, our partner, Sacred Healing Circle (SHC), operates its holiday gift program to help Lakota families and surrounding areas in South Dakota “in a manner that respects and honors our traditional Lakota leadership structure,” says executive director Dr. Yvette Running Horse Collin.
With support from Running Strong, SHC will be providing “special holiday aid” in the form of meal baskets including ingredients for a healthy, holiday meal, winter appropriate gifts such as electric blankets, heaters, fuel and small gifts for elder traditional leaders, mobility equipment such as canes and walkers, gifts for the elderly in assisted living situations and the staff who care for them – and, of course, gifts for families with small children. SHC will also be providing emergency and vehicle repairs, so families stay safe during the harsh winters on the reservation.
The Muldrow Cherokee Community Organization (MCCO) in Oklahoma, with Running Strong support, will operate its holiday program for families so that, regardless of income level or financial hardship, children can experience the joy of the holiday season. They will distribute toys, books, and games to children throughout Sequoyah County, supply shoes, pajamas and Christmas hams to families, delivery stockings filled with socks, lotion, and snacks to elderly residents, and host a Santa Meet & Greet Photo event, a Christmas Craft & Ornament making day and Christmas Movie & Hot Chocolate night to fill the community with festive cheer!
Running Strong and its partners remain committed to ensuring that every child, family, and senior in Native communities experience a meaningful and joyful season. With your support, we can continue spreading warmth, kindness, and hope to those who need it most!
