The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us, which means the Cheyenne River Youth Project® has just one month left to fulfill the Christmas wishes of 1,500 children on South Dakota’s remote, 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. More than 1,000 letters have already been adopted by generous supporters, yet more remains to be done.
“We still have more than 400 ‘Dear Santa’ letters that need to be adopted,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “That means we still need to take care of 400 children who wrote heartfelt letters in the hope that Santa Claus would bring a little extra happiness and magic to their homes this Christmas.
“Supporters who wish to join our Christmas Toy Drive efforts can contact us directly to get their Santa letters,” she continued. “Or, if they would prefer to contribute funds, they can donate via our website. We’re happy to do the shopping on our end to make sure Santa comes to these deserving kids.”
Christmas is a big deal on the CRYP calendar. This year’s toy drive geared up in late summer, and in just a matter of days, it will become an around-the-clock race as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day grow ever nearer. But first, CRYP will host its eagerly anticipated, annual holiday parties for the 4- to 12-year-olds at The Main youth center and the teenagers at the Cokata Wiconi (“Center of Life”) teen center.
The Main’s event will take place on Tuesday, December 1. With the theme “Inside Out Christmas,” the party will include musical chairs, cookie decorating and dinner. In addition, the kids will watch the popular animated film “Inside Out” and decorate ornaments inspired by the movie.
The teens’ party is scheduled for Wednesday, December 2. With the theme “Elf,” the evening will include a spaghetti dinner, a basketball tournament, making gingerbread houses, and watching the now-classic holiday movie “Elf.”
Following the December 1 and 2 holiday parties for the young people who attend Cokata Wiconi and The Main, the not-for-profit youth project will shut both centers’ doors until the new year. Staff and volunteers then will devote 100 percent of their time and effort to creating a 24-hour, full-service Santa’s Workshop in the teen center.
The team will be soliciting additional in-kind and financial contributions, arranging trucks to bring gifts from other locations to Cheyenne River, and sorting the many items already on hand to make sure the right gifts go to the right children.
Then there’s the wrapping. With the goal of giving each child two to three gifts from his or her Dear Santa letter, plus much-needed winter clothing and shoes, the team has the herculean task of prepping thousands of presents for eager kids and their appreciative families.
“We need every staff member and volunteer to make this Christmas miracle happen,” Garreau said. “And it truly is a miracle, because our toy drive is personal. Each gift is addressed to a particular child, and it was carefully chosen to fulfill that little boy’s or girl’s Christmas wishes. That’s very important to us, because it lets the kids know that someone truly cares.”
CRYP’s supporters across the country are already hard at work. They include Fairview High School, a student group at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, the Fredericks Peebles & Morgan law firm and the American Indian College Fund in Colorado; the St. Louis Branch of CRYP in Missouri; and Running Strong for American Indian Youth in Alexandria, Virginia. Then there are the many generous individuals across the country and around the world. Garreau said she hopes additional supporters will join the drive and ensure that 1,500 letters are adopted.
“During the last few years, we’ve served between 1,200 and 1,300 children,” she said. “This year, we’re hoping to expand our reach to 1,500 letters, because there’s such a great need on our reservation. And we are committed to doing everything in our power to make sure that every kid who wants to be on Santa’s list at Christmastime will be on that list.”
For too many families on Cheyenne River, household budgets simply cannot stretch to cover winter clothes, much less holiday gifts. So hundreds of children rely on CRYP to be there for them during the holiday season.
“Consider your own holiday memories, and think about how much Christmas means to a child,” Garreau commented. “So for our kids, who often have to grow up way too fast due to circumstances beyond their control, this annual Christmas Toy Drive means everything. It means that, for at least one day, they get to enjoy just being a kid.”
If you would like to support CRYP’s Christmas Toy Drive this holiday season, please visit www.lakotayouth.org for detailed information. Every contribution, no matter the size, will ensure that Cheyenne River’s children receive what all children should have: a merry Christmas.
To stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook (/LakotaYouth), Twitter (@LakotaYouth) and Instagram (@waniyetuwowapi).
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.