Families grateful for Dads of Oxford’s letters to Santa campaign

Emily Stewart, Echo Correspondent

A local fatherhood organization ensured that the Oxford County children still had a chance to send in their Christmas letters to Santa and get a reply back.

Dads of Oxford, a community group bringing together fathers in the county, ran a Santa Claus letter drop-off until Dec. 15, with return letters from Santa. Several local businesses across Oxford County served as drop-off locations.

The participating businesses in Woodstock were Counselling and Play Therapy, Beantown Coffee, Happy Hippo, The Soulful Spoon, Early Bird Coffee, Jarful Refillery, Rosso Barbershop, Revel Realty, Lakeside Dental, The WOMB and Bobar Beverage.

In Norwich, Foresight Optometry took part and in Ingersoll Tito’s Pizza, Ingersoll Cheese and Agricultural Museum, Heavenly Sweets and the Little White Piano Company.

The Mill Restaurant, Rosso Barbershop, Counselling and Play Therapy and Betty’s Marketplace were the Tillsonburg businesses that participated.

As of Dec. 12, the day of the interview with the Woodstock-Ingersoll Echo, Dads of Oxford received more than 300 letters.

Co-founder Jeremy Ward, who has twins around two years old, came up with the idea and talked to fellow co-founder Chad Gee, whose child is a bit older than two years old, about it following the Canada Post Strike that lasted about a month starting from Dec. 15.

Normally, Canada Post sends letters to Santa and returns letters to children, but the strike paused the Christmas tradition.

"This was the beginning of starting the whole memory-making process of doing letters to Santa,” Ward said. “It was just unfortunate that with the Canada Post strike, they weren't going to get anything in return. We just decided to step up and do something locally for all the kids in Oxford County to do returned letters to Santa."

Ward and Gee said that the parents were happy to see Dads of Oxford step up.

"Everything's been super positive,” Gee said. “Families are so happy that we're stepping up. I've heard that they love that we partnered with a lot of local businesses so they could get out and either drop it off at a store they've never been to or, it's the time of year to support local, and that's kind of why we chose all the smaller businesses to do it."

"We've had a lot of parents reach out,” Ward added. “Even reading through all of our letters we just had little notes and feedback from parents saying 'We greatly appreciate you guys doing this. Thank you so much. It's been very positive feedback for sure."

Santa and one of the elves also helped with delivering the return letters to the children.

“Just to make that experience just much more fun and hopefully memory-lasting as well,” Ward said.