DITTMER, Mo. — Christmas is a little less than a week away, but that didn't stop Santa and his helpers from making a last-minute stop at a Jefferson County school.
At Maple Grove Elementary in Dittmer, 48% of the students receive free or reduced lunch and might not have had a present to open this holiday season.
As Maple Grove students filed into the gym they were quickly taken into a winter wonderland.
Santa and his elves were hard at work granting a little holiday cheer.
“Tell me, what do you want for Christmas,” asked Chris Kringle.
“Family,” said one student.
“Family,” Kringle said. “I love it!"
Santa had a little help from Kathryn Jewell and Rickey Whittington, who made sure that no Maple Grove student went home empty-handed.
“It’s just an opportunity to celebrate them,” Jewell. said. “Maybe one child feels inspired. Maybe one child feels something that they would’ve otherwise missed out on.”
“It’s all about love and it’s all about giving back,” Whittington said.
As a child who often went without Whittington knows how less fortunate students can struggle emotionally.
“I was embarrassed to go outside because my grandmother couldn’t afford to buy us anything for Christmas,” Whittington said.
That’s a feeling Jewel and Whittington believe no one should have to go through.
Jewel, a local realtor, commits 10% of her salary towards funding holiday projects at a Jefferson County school each year.
In 2023, the R. Whittington Foundation delivered gifts to more than 3300 kids in St. Louis Co.
“This might be the only toy that they get all year,” Whittington said. “To bring joy to a kid at a time right now during the Christmas season means the world to me.”
That’s why they have a message for local school leaders that they want to make loud and clear for all to hear.
“If you want to get in contact with me at the R. Whittington Foundation,” Whittington said. “We will pull up and make a Christmas at your school next year.”
“It’s an experience we hope the kids will remember for a long time,” Jewell said.