Submitted by the Friday Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

It’s time for the letters to Santa – you can drop off your letters to Santa in the big, red, seasonal mailbox at Van Go’s on Web Street. Every year, a team of dedicated volunteer elves assist Santa in responding to the hundreds of letters from our community’s youth. Sponsored by Friday Harbor Trading Post, the SJI Chamber of Commerce and Van Go’s.

Important notes for Letter to Santa participation:

Return address must be legible on the child’s letter to receive a response.

The child’s name needs to be clearly printed or it will be addressed to “my dear friend.”

Return times may vary — even by household. The volunteer elves try to respond in the order they come in, but the elves work at different paces as their own lives allow.

To get a child’s original letter back: Include a stamped envelope with the return address and a note requesting it back.

Please note: The elves do not address a child’s gift request to respect the caregiver’s choices and financial situations.

Each elf creates a few original story templates for reply letters to get through the hundreds received. For more personalized responses, kiddos can ask questions, or a caregiver can sneak in a note about what the child has done that year.

Please be patient and practice kindness: This is run entirely by volunteers who put their love and free time into making it happen. They do not get paid and do it for the love of Christmas and delight.

The deadline to drop off a letter and receive a response is Dec. 20.