With Christmas just weeks away, the United States Post Office is kicking off its annual Operation Santa letter adoption, but for the first time, the 108-year-old program is going online coast to coast.
The program was created in 1912 as a way for Americans to give back to the less fortunate. Strangers can "adopt" a letter that a child has written to Santa listing what they would like to receive under the Christmas tree this year for making it onto the jolly ol' fellow's Good List.
Adults and families can also write in requests to be fulfilled by anonymous St. Nicks.
"There's a lot of people that need help every year and that's what this program is all about: is to try to help people who may not necessarily be able to provide holiday gifts for their families," Kim Frum, senior public relations representative at USPS, told Cheddar.
This year, the program's virtual presence has been expanded but not because of the ongoing pandemic. Three years ago New York City acted as a pilot city to test the program's ability to flourish online. After a successful run, the agency expanded the test program to seven U.S. cities. Now it's' going nationwide.
"People write letters from all over the country and they send the letters to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. It's a legitimate address. I promise you, and it does get delivered," Frum said.
For parents with reservations about random people having your kid's information, USPS has you covered. Once postal workers open the letters, they redact "any personally identifiable information."
"The safety of these letter writers is of the utmost importance," Frum noted.
Gabrielle Stone invented a fake tiktok trend to share some important news with her husband. Essentially, she challenges him to guess words that she spells out at a rapid-fire pace. She started with "I love you" before moving on to her big announcement.
After testing out some Icelandic cuisine, Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier gets a sneak preview of Taste of Iceland -- a cultural festival running between May 10-13 across New York City.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier gets a taste of Icelandic cuisine at Blue Lagoon Iceland in New York City.
Cheddar News reporter Ashley Mastronardi tracks the rise of the "mom-fluencer" or working mothers who have left their jobs to become full-time content creators. While not a new phenomenon, experts say the trend has gained momentum since the start of the pandemic.
Tens of thousands of fans descended upon the Swedish capital of Stockholm to celebrate the opening show of Beyoncé’s new world tour on Wednesday.
Peru’s government will allow the extradition to the United States of the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Aruba, bringing her family hope there will be justice in the case.
With summer coming up, Cheddar News breaks down some artists that you can check out as music festivals approach for the coming season.
The top entertainment headlines for May 10, 2023.
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MTV, a division of Paramount, is planning to shut down its news division and lay off 25 percent of its workforce. The company cited "broader economic headwinds" as the reason for the shuttering. The decision comes as Paramount makes cuts to better compete with rival entertainment giants.
