Photo By Sgt. Derick Fennell | Holiday decorations line the interior of Santa’s Castle at Joint Base Lewis-McChord,...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. — Santa’s Castle, a volunteer-based nonprofit organization, has provided toys and clothes to families in Washington state during the holiday season for more than 30 years. Last year, the donation-based program gave away nearly $800,000 worth of toys to about 2,000 families.
Families submit wish lists for their children, and volunteers dressed as elves help parents shop at Santa’s Castle’s toy bank to choose gifts for each child. The elves include Soldiers, spouses and civilians.
While Santa’s Castle is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, volunteers also bring toys and clothes to Naval Base Kitsap to support families who may live too far from JBLM. For families who cannot make it to either location, volunteers gather their information, shop for toys on their behalf, and coordinate with unit representatives to deliver the gifts. This helps to ensure no family is left out.
“I understand the stress of being a military spouse with deployments and PCS because I’ve been a military spouse for almost 20 years, so to just be able to take a little bit of that away and give a family some joy is the most rewarding thing to me”, said Megan Williams, communications director for Santa’s Castle
Santa’s Castle is now stocking up for another holiday season to give back to families who have worked hard throughout the year. Visitors can tour Santa’s Castle and learn more about its mission of serving military families across Washington during the season of giving.
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2025 20:00 |
| Story ID: | 549362 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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