What do mom and dad want for the holidays this year? Grand County children can pick from lots of presents to surprise their parents, thanks to the Secret Santa Shop in Grand Lake. The free event lets kids experience the joy of giving, not just receiving. The shop is open on Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
At Secret Santa Shop, kids leave their parents at the door to explore a room full of gifts, generously donated by the community. Each child picks out a gift for mom and dad, or even their pets. They wrap their gifts with help from the elves, get to visit with Santa, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies, plus complete a craft with Colorado Aerolabs. Then they rejoin their parents, who have enjoyed refreshments as they wonder what their child has picked out for them.
The event was created by the volunteer group the Grand Angels in 2011. Although the Grand Angels have dissolved, the spirit of giving continues – the shop delights children and parents year after year. The event provides a novel experience for gift giving.
When youngsters shop for holiday gifts, they sometimes find themselves tagging alongside one parent while that parent purchases the gift the child will “give” to the other parent. Or the parent might simply go online and purchase the gifts themselves. The Secret Santa Shops allows children to become part of the holiday experience. They are excited and grateful to watch their parents unwrap the presents they carefully picked out all by themselves.
This is made possible by volunteers, who receive support from Grand Lake Rotary Club, Mountain Family Center, the Town of Grand Lake and other generous donors. Deb Gahan, a former Grand Lake resident, created the program.
“We usually have 60 to 80 volunteers over the course of the set up, shopping and the actual event, so it’s a huge Grand County turnout,” Gahan said. “I am just delighted this event continues. We’ve come a long way from that first one in 2011. I’m excited to see how many kiddos attend this year.”
How to get involved
Community members can donate new or gently used gifts to the program, for both parents and pets. Gifts can be dropped off at the following locations: Grand Lake Chamber at 14700 U.S. Highway 34, Grand Lake Center at 301 Marina Drive, or Mountain Lake Properties at 1133 Grand Avenue. Monetary donations are also accepted with a check made to Mountain Family Center – Grand Angels Secret Santa Shop.
Volunteers at Secret Santa Shop are also needed from Dec. 4-10. Contact Katie Ellis at 720-434-1690 or katiegarciaellis@gmail.com to sign up.
