SANTA’S BAD ELVES
SANTA’S BAD ELVES
Announcing the
5th Annual Poker Run
led by John and Mary Elwood
Santa’s Hide-A-Way Hollow
Saturday August 27th,2011
Grab your bike or drive your car, all vehicles welcome. Registration 9-noon at Pooch’s.
2242 Greenville Rd NE (ST RT 88),Cortland, Ohio 44410. 330-638-0011. Donation of
$15.00/person (includes buffet). First bike out at 10:30am. Last bike in at 5pm.
Entertainment 2pm-1am.
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Chinese auction – Bike games – 50/50 raffle – Rain or shine-
All proceeds go to Santa’s Hide-A-Way Hollow. It is a place for terminally ill children and their families who want to share one last Christmas together anytime of the year.
For more information please call:
Mary330-770-8152, John 330-770-8018, Niki 330-550-5443.
Blessing of the bikes at 10 am
Christmas in July !!
Christmas in July Location
Where: Saucy Bistro
24481 Detroit Rd
Westlake, OH 44145
When: Monday, July 25
Time: 5p-9p
Saucy Bistro:
440-835-3559
Color Nation:
440-333-4247
We look forward to seeing you at Saucy Bistro! This event is not exclusive to Color Nation Clients or Saucy Bistro Customers – bring a friend or 2 in the spirit of giving and take advantage of a sale on gift certificates!
Our Raffle Prizes
Prize Package from Q104
Playhouse Square Tickets
Coach purse
Indians Tickets courtesy of Merks Tickets
Color Nation Gift Package
Saucy Bistro Gift Package
Cavs Ramon Sessions Autographed Basketball
Suite Pass for a group of 18 to a Lake Erie Monsters Hockey Game and Autographed Puck
Golf for 2 at Grey Hawk
YOU ARE INVITED to
Christmas in July!
For the first time ever, Color Nation has teamed up with one of Westlake’s best restaurants, Saucy Bistro for a gift certificate sale event. During this event you will be able to purchase gift certificates at 25% off for both Color Nation and Saucy Bistro!
What to expect? Nothing but the best! Complimentary appetizers and wine by Saucy Bistro, Raffle Prizes, Live Music by Silver Creek, and complimentary valet parking will be available.
All for a great charitable cause – Santa’s Hideaway Hollow.
The Event’s Fine Print:
How can I purchase a gift certificate at 25% off?
Bring in an unwrapped toy!
Be at the event – you must be present to drop off your toy donation and purchase your gift certificate. We cannot accept advance phone calls for gift certificate purchases. It is your choice of how many toys to bring in, you do not need to bring in separate donations to purchase Color Nation and Saucy Bistro gift certificates.
What kind of toys should I bring?
New, unwrapped toys for children ranging from very young to about 13. These children are usually bed ridden and are looking for entertainment in their beds. Suggestions include: Barbies, Board Games, Remote Control Cars, Pillow Pets, Stuffed Animals, Sing A Ma Jigs, Interactive Books, Baby Einstein Toys, First Blocks, Musical Toys…etc
How many gift certificates can I buy?
In the spirit of giving, we request that each person can purchase Color Nation and Saucy Bistro gift certificates at a $300 maximum.
How can I enter the raffle?
Upon entry, with your toy donation you will receive
1 raffle ticket and 2 drink tickets.
Raffle tickets will then be sold throughout the night for $1 each or $5 for 6 tickets.
More about our Charity:
Santa’s Hideaway Hollow
Please take a moment to read more about this fantastic charity. Santa’s Hide A Way Hollow, a non-profit organization founded in 1981, is dedicated to working with seriously and terminally ill children and their families to provide comfort and support throughout the final stages of the child’s illness. Many children ask to see Santa for a last Christmas as they near the end of their struggle. Santa’s Hide Away is committed to meeting that very need any time of the year. Santa gives his healing Spirit to all!
Request from Santa
Greetings from the North Pole…
It is not very often that you get a request from Santa Claus.
However, Santa’s Hide-A-Way Hollow needs your help.
Toyota Motor Company has established “100 Cars for Good.”
Through their efforts, they are awarding 1 new car each day to
charities for 100 days. Everyday 5 new charities are listed on their facebook
page. Santa’s Hide-A-Way Hollow is one of those selected charities.
On July 11th, Santa’s Hide-A-Way becomes eligible to receive a new Toyota
pickup truck.
Please go to http://apps.facebook.com/carsforgood/ and vote.
(You do need a facebook in order to vote). Please pass this on to all
your friends, coworkers, and family members. A new pickup truck would
be extremely useful to Santa. Lights and sirens would be added just
like the old truck, which is 11 yrs old and rusting. The truck would be
used to protect the children, transport our elves and the children. In the
event we have to rush a childback to the hospital, the truck would
help transport the child to safety. Please remember to vote and please
help us by passing this e-mail on.
If you don’t know what Santa’s Hideaway is, it is a charity
that gives terminally and critically ill children a chance to
experience their last Christmas, any time of the year. It is a chance to escape
the pain, medication, and sadness, while giving the lasting memory of
Santa Clause, his elves, reindeer, and toys. Over the last 30 years we
have visited 73,000 children at hospitals, hospice, their own homes,
and brought them to Santa’s Hide-A-Way Hollow.
http://www.santashideawayhollow.net/
Thank you and Merry Christmas,
Santa Claus
Vineyard in the Valley
Please Spread the Word
The Chagrin Valley Women’s League is hosting Vineyard in the Valley, a wine inspired party on May 14, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Barrington Country Club in Aurora. (Barrington will be closing their doors to their members that evening in order to allow their entire venue to be used for our party!)
The event raises money to support one major beneficiary, Santa’s Hideaway Hollow, and four minor beneficiaries, Holy Angel’s BREATHE event, Chagrin Falls Park Community Center, Meals on Wheels and WomenSafe.
This fun-filled evening includes wine tastings, a live and silent auctions, a special VIP lounge, special guest appearances from Santa and his elves, fantastic food, a full bar and dancing to the local and talented band, the Spazmatics.
For ticket information please visit www.cvwl.com, once the information is posted. Tickets are $95 per person and can be purchased online, at the door or through the mail. If you wish to order your tickets now through the mail, to secure a spot to the hottest party in town, then please make checks payable to CVWL and send it to PO Box 512, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022.
The Chagrin Valley Women’s League is a nonprofit organization that addresses the identifiable needs of the Chagrin Valley community and surrounding areas through fundraising and volunteer activities. Particular focus is given to the needs of women, children and the elderly.
For any questions about the event or tickets, then please contact Karen Sunderhaft at 440-708-0545.
Santa gets interviewed on NPR
Santa was interviewed on NPR recently, click here for details!
Santa’s Hideaway Hollow
Santa’s Hide A Way Hollow, a non-profit organization founded in 1981, is dedicated to working with seriously and terminally ill children and their families to provide comfort and support throughout the final stages of the child’s illness. Many children ask to see Santa for a last Christmas as they near the end of their struggle. Santa’s Hide Away is committed to meeting that very need any time of the year. Santa gives his healing Spirit to all!
Description:
Terminally and seriously ill children face incredible personal challenges throughout the progressive stages of their illness. The mythology and folkways of Santa Claus represents a very special form of support for these children. Santa Claus is about listening and supporting a child’s dreams, wishes and emotional and spiritual needs. A day of excitement being with Santa is a statement about the child’s worthiness. A child is encouraged to ask for what it is he or she wants and participates in the Spirit of Christmas with their family and friends. Santa also provides joyful and fond memories for the families that will support their healing needs after the loss of their loved one.
History:
Santa has seen over 58,000 sick children over the last 30 years. We are 100% volunteer driven. No one in the organization receives a salary or fee. Santa arrives on the North Pole Firetrucks which are actual firetrucks driven by actual firemen who volunteer their time when not on duty at their stations.
“Bringing Christmas to sick and dying children”
by Debbie Hanson
Santa lives in Middlefield, Ohio.
Oh sure, he has his main headquarters at the North Pole. But he has a branch right here in Middlefield too and it is a full-service operation. You might say it’s his “Summer Home”.
Of course Santa sometimes needs help and for his Middlefield Office he has enlisted the aid of Bill Dieterle. Not everyone has Santa’s North Pole Phone Number, so people who need to contact him go through Bill.
Bill was born in Chicago and originally thought he was going to be a priest. In fact he spent five years in a Catholic seminary studying to do just that. He got a football scholarship to St. Procopius College and graduated with a degree in English.
He took a job as the midnight bellman at Stouffers Hotels and went on to be their youngest Vice President.
Bill was once a vice president at Tony Roma’s as well. He’s even the man responsible for the idea of Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza!
If Santa hadn’t called Bill and asked for his help he’d probably be in New York working for the big chains and making the big bucks.
But Santa did call, and Bill is working for him at the Middlefield Branch of the North Pole “and loving every minute of it.”
“I had a great childhood. Christmas was always celebrated in wonderful ways in my house.” So of course, when Santa called, Bill answered the call.
It seemed that there were a lot of children in the hospital and critically ill and Santa wanted to visit them – whether it was Christmastime or not. But he needed someone to coordinate his efforts so that he could still see to his work at the North Pole. So he called on Bill.
Santa Claus visiting a sick child
At first Bill was nervous, after all this was Santa Claus asking for help and he wasn’t sure if he was up to the challenge. So he decided to go with Santa one day and watch Santa work. He watched as Santa made each child smile.
Bill remembers one little boy who jumped to the beginning of the line of children waiting to sit on Santa’s knee. The people in charge were about to ask him to go to the back of the line when Santa noticed a scar on the child and motioned that it was okay for him to stay where he was. Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas and the boy answered “nothing.”
Santa was astonished and so was Bill who was off to the side watching. “You must want something” Santa said. Then the young boy answered Santa in the most sincere, childlike voice and said “Santa, you know I’m dying. Please just make my mother happy.”
Santa gave the young boy a big hug and the boy walked away happy. His mother was crying tears of pride, joy and sorrow all at once. Bill was stunned as he watched the child and Santa interact and he knew he couldn’t say no to Santa; he wanted to help him make children like this happy.
So now, whenever Santa goes to visit a sick or dying child, Bill facilitates the visit and is there on the sidelines making it all happen. He remembers many calls from families whose child is a patient at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital or any of a number of other places. They know the child will not live until Christmas, but they would like just one more picture with Santa.
Bill knows how important those happy memories will be to the families in the years to come, so when he gets the call he calls Santa at the North Pole and together they make sure the child gets to see Santa one more time.
Santa’s Hideaway Hollow
He’s been helping Santa in this way for 26 years now. In the early years he would get requests for a bedside visit from Santa about 75 to 100 times a year. “Last year Santa visited over 4,000 children. Of course every time Santa goes to Rainbow he visits all of the children, not just the one he was called for. Wouldn’t it be terrible if a child heard that Santa Claus was there and didn’t come to visit?!”
Bill continued to work for Tony Roma’s even after the call from Santa, thinking he would be able to do both. He refused to take on any client that was not flexible enough to allow him to go to Santa’s aid on short notice. But Santa’s work can be very demanding.
He remembers once when he was meeting with some Japanese businessmen in California. Santa called him and said there was a child dying and Bill had to help make the arrangements for Santa to be able to visit.
The Japanese businessmen told him to go, help Santa. They even kept Bills’ wife Jan there and watched out for her until he returned.
Bill and Jan have one daughter, Jordan, a freshman at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin. “She’s 14 going on 30″ who also loves to help Santa and Bill whenever she can.
Santa arrives at the hospital in fire trucks with police escorts, elves, food, toys and shopping carts full of presents. Of course when he is in the North Pole he travels by sled but even the snow we get here in Cleveland isn’t enough to keep a sled mobile, so he uses a fire truck instead.
Santa Claus with elves
Santa and Bill have witnessed miracles and have seen things Bill can not explain. “So often I wish I could pull a miracle out of my bag or maybe Santa could work a miracle and God, in his wisdom, sometimes allows that to happen. But it’s not me or even Santa; its God’s will that must be done.”
One such miracle occurred when Bill arranged for Santa to see a very young child who had just been taken off a breathing tube. The baby was dressed up in red and ruffles for Christmas and her picture with Santa.
When Santa held the baby, she started to choke and then breathe on her own. A true Christmas miracle. “I believe this is God’s choice and I believe in the faith and love of the family.”
Christmas Angel at Santa’s Hideaway Hollow
Christmas Angel at Santa’s Hideaway Hollow
He also recalls the child he visited one November, who was in a coma. The child came out of the coma in February and wanted to know when Christmas was because she remembered that Santa had come to visit. So Akron Babies and Children’s Hospital decorated for Christmas in February and Santa went to visit.
The siblings hadn’t opened their presents either – they were waiting to do it together. Bill has noticed that this happens a lot; people tend to forget about the siblings or at least forget how much they are hurting too.
“Santa always talks to children in comas. He knows they can hear him and he never forgets the siblings either.”
Sometimes after Bill has spent the day with Santa (most of their hospital trips last 8-9 hours) he comes home and cries; he is so saddened by the young children in pain. But when he gets a call he doesn’t hesitate to contact Santa and make it happen all over again.
Inside Santa’s Hideaway Hollow
Santa told Bill that he was spending so much time in Northeast Ohio that he really needed a home here. So, 15 years ago, Bill built Santa a house in Bainbridge. But the neighbors were full of “humbug” and kept taking Bill to court, trying to keep Santa from living in their neighborhood.
Santa and Bill talked it over and decided that the Bainbridge home was too small anyway, so Bill bought 93 acres in Middlefield Ohio. Santa and Bill worked out the plans and they built a city. There’s a candy store and a bakery and of course the elves are often there working.
There’s a theater and carriage paths and a replica of the North Pole so Santa doesn’t feel home sick when he’s here. Santa took Bill to his North Pole home so Bill could make sure and get the details right – and he has – right down to the 6 reindeer!
There are no paid employees at Santa’s Middlefield Home, which he calls Santa’s Hideaway Hollow. No one gets a salary or a fee of any kind. Even the fire trucks and police escorts are driven by off duty officers.
They have no fundraisers or big pleas for financial help. They rely on the kindness of people.
Bernie Kosar building at Santas Hideaway Hollow
Contributions have come from people like Bernie Kosar who has a building named after him.
The students at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin often help the elves. Families come out to the Hollow after a child has died and plant a Christmas tree in their memory. There is one tree that was actually planted by a child who lived. The tree is in memory of his father who died in the transplant that saved his son.
Santa Claus with Elves visiting a child
Santa taught Bill sign language and how to say Merry Christmas in many languages. This comes in handy especially when Bill goes to Cleveland Clinic with Santa where there are patients from around the world.
It is remarkable work that Bill does, helping Santa Claus like that. It is his amazing heart that keeps him going – a heart filled with so much love and compassion it is overwhelming to even think about.
Bill says he wishes he could “create a miracle” and save these children. Once you know about Bill’s work and how he helps Santa Claus and once you have seen Hideaway Hollow and realize how much he has put into it, you cannot help but think that Bill Dieterle is a true Christmas miracle.
Santa’s Hideaway Hollow is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation. To contact Santa through Bill for a child in need or to help with the tremendous financial undertaking please contact him at:
William Dieterle, Santa’s Hideaway Hollow
15400 Bundysburg
Middlefield, OH 44062
For more information, please contact info@santashideawayhollow.net
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