Rotary Secret Santa elves prepare for big day

McHENRY — A small army of elves soon will wield scissors and tape upon festive paper during the Rotary Secret Santa program’s wrapping and delivery weekend Dec. 17-19.

Begun in 2014 by McHenry Sunrise Rotary, the program now is coordinated by the McHenry Area Rotary, which formed in 2020 as the merger of the Sunrise club and the Rotary Club of McHenry. For the past several years, the effort has provided roughly 8,000 toys to about 2,000 children annually. It serves those who are ages infant to 12, said Mike Lehman, program founder and chairman.

Rotary Secret Santa takes assistance requests from families countywide through Wednesday, Dec. 8. Volunteers will deliver gifts on Dec. 19, Lehman said, adding that while the Marines Toys for Tots program supplies the lion’s share of the toys, community members also donate. And this year, a $5,700 McHenry Home Depot grant is covering dozens of toys to fill gaps in the newborn to 3 and 10- to 12-year-old categories.

“It was kind of last-minute, and a huge blessing,” Lehman said. “I had talked with the store manager last year as I was purchasing the heavy-duty garbage bags we use to make deliveries. This year, she donated several hundred garbage bags, plus more than 150 toys.

“I had mentioned that we still could use more toys for certain age groups, and within 24 hours she had this grant approved,” Lehman said of Geri Quirk-Blanken, McHenry store manager and a district Team Depot community captain with the Home Depot Foundation.

Quirk-Blanken said she was thrilled to help. The donation includes 181 children’s items, ranging from art sets to remote-controlled monster trucks.

“I remember when I was starting off as a young parent; it was a struggle to provide for the kids at the holidays,” she said. “I asked Mike ‘What can I do besides helping to wrap gifts?’”

Lehman said those who need assistance should go to sunrisesecretsanta.com and complete the online form by Wednesday, Dec. 8, for consideration.

Those who’d like to help also can visit the site. Although most wrapping volunteer shifts already were filled as of Friday, Dec. 3, numerous delivery slots remained available for Dec. 19. A few wrapping session clean-up crew slots also remained open for the afternoon of Dec. 18.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted through Dec. 18, Lehman said. Drop-off sites include McHenry District 15 schools as well as Alex’s Drive Inn, Buddyz Pizzeria and Gary Lang Auto Group in McHenry, plus the Lake House on Pistakee, Northern Light Care and Stucky’s Bar and Grille in Johnsburg.

The program never ceases to renew participants’ holiday spirit, Lehman said.

“The camaraderie that goes on between volunteers is just amazing,” he said. “Spirits are up. People are feeling good about the holiday and about seeing their neighbors. They just enjoy being a part of this and giving back.”

Several area businesses supply teams of volunteers who help with wrapping, while others have provided key financial support, he added. To view a list of Rotary Secret Santa sponsors, visit sunrisesecretsanta.com.