Santa picked up his mail and received an envelope from The Reny Charitable Foundation. Upon opening the envelope, there was check to the Santa Claus Fund in the amount of $1,000.

We wish to thank the Reny Charitable Foundation for helping our kids once again.

Renys department store and the Santa Claus Fund have worked together for more than 20 years. Renys has worked with all of the previous chairmen and directors — Eddie Jenks, Bill May, William Waite, Al Hannigan, Regis Fortin and others.

I will tell you the Reny family, The Newman-Beamis Toy Co. (a subsidiary of Renys) and their employees have helped us to reach out to thousands of families in the Midcoast area.

Renys is a local resource for us. When we run short of certain product, we can count on them to fill the gap, and often the very next day. We really appreciate their friendly, prompt service.

Renys has a secret weapon, too. Her name is Claire and she knows toys. She has taken time each year to show us the newest toys and the toys with the most play value. That would be a toy that you would play with over and over, not just once.

Claire is serious about her job, but I always get her to smile as we patrol the toy aisles at the store.

“It’s an adventure,” I like to say, as we forecast our needs. It’s not an exact science, but we have the children’s best interest in selecting the toys. It’s an annual event and we always look forward to it.

Thank you for all your help. And thank you to John and Robert Reny, the sons of the late Bob Reny, who continue to support the Santa Claus Fund Inc.

— We also received several donations today. Rod and Linda Bauer sent $100. Roberta and Gordon Weil sent $50. Nancy and Robert Litwinski of Oviedo, Fla., donated $1,000. Thank you very much for that wonderful donation. Gayle Libby sent $30. Elizabeth Scully sent $100. Diane and Tracey Humphrey donated $25 in memory of Alcide “Santa” Bois. Dr. Robert S. Galen donated $30. The Robert Williams Real Estate office donated $250. David Osborne sent in $125. McElman Inc. Bath Subaru gave $100. Mr. Richard Gowell donated $50. Barbara and David King donated $50 in memory of Connie and George Risteen. Priscilla and Stephen Nicholson donated $100 “on behalf of our boys Enoch and Isaac.” Michael and Susanne Hart donated $200. Kathleen Watson Goodwin sent $50. Karen and John Parker Jr. donated $25. Barry M. Sturgeon donated $250. Elisabeth Paige sent $100. Martha and Arthur Mayo donated $100. Geoffrey and Sharon Hole sent $100. A gift of $10 came from a friend in New Jersey named Mary Beth. Evelyn King sent $35. Alice and Kevin Johnson donated $25 in memory of George Robert and their son, Cory Ross Johnson. Margaret and Gary Hartley donated $50 in memory of Judy Hudson. Linda and Winthrop Gillis donated $50 in memory of Robin Hurst. Seth Washburn sent $50. Helen Smith and James Ward sent $25. Sally and William Haggett donated $200. And the Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School collected $47. These donations totaled $4,327.

— We received a unique gift idea from the Family Fun Bowling Center on Bath Road in Brunswick.

They gave our kids 10 gift certificates for three strings of bowling. Ten lucky boys and girls are going to have a ton of fun. Thank you, Family Fun Center.

Also, we received a $20 gift certificate from the China Rose Restaurant in Brunswick. I’m sure one of our kids is going to be very pleased. Thank you for your donation.

— Wow! Thank you to each of you, near and away.

Today was a very good day for the Santa Claus Fund. That now gives us a running total of $10,087. The $30,000 goal is that much closer thanks to your generosity.

— Our kid count nudged up a little today. Letters have been slow and we are a little puzzled by that. We packed toys for 24 children. That brings the total to 248 children as of today.

— If you would like to join our team by making a contribution, all you have to do is send a check to: The Santa Claus Fund Inc., P.O. Box 278, Brunswick, ME 04011. We will publish your donation in the next report. If you have a loved one you would like to be remembered, we would be happy to do that for you.

We hope to see you here next time. Thanks for spending some time with me.

THE SANTA CLAUS FUND reports are contributed by coordinator Dave Desjardins, known as “the head elf.”