Sleigh it ain’t so! Naperville Community Television (NCTV17) caught sight of Santa and Mrs. Claus on the fourth day of his 12-day tour through Naperville.
Santa and his sleigh tour
Now in its fifth year, Santa’s Sleigh Tour began in 2020 as a way to bring Santa to families during the COVID pandemic thanks to Naperville businessman Matt Doyle. Today the branch manager of Team Doyle Hulsey (TD) Cross Country Mortgage continues that tradition, bringing Saint Nick to more than 80 neighborhoods throughout the city. This year’s tour started on November 30 and runs through December 11. There’s a Santa Tracker that shows in real-time the location of Santa as he makes his way through the tour.
“We’ve seen lots and lots of kids and raising money for a lot of good nonprofits,” said Santa.
Holiday Cheer and Charity
This grassroots event to bring holiday cheer evolved into a registered non-profit forming Santa’s Christmas Charities last year. The organization now coordinates Santa’s tour in addition to raising money for six charities throughout the Chicagoland area. This year’s beneficiaries are:
“We like to say that we focus on children, families, and those that tell their stories,” said Collen Doyle, Vice President of Santa’s Christmas Charities. She adds that the funds raised come in through sponsorships and individual donations.
“I’m grateful that you’re supporting NCTV17 so we can continue sharing everybody’s story through Naperville,” said Neveen Michael, President-Elect for NCTV17.
Doyle says that Santa’s Christmas Charities will host a January Jubilee event where the organization will officially present these six charities with the money they’ve raised. Then Santa and the team will begin planning for next year’s Sleigh Tour!
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