PHOENIX — Looking for a way to help Valley families this holiday season? Join us for "Claus-a-Thon" on Wednesday!
DONATION TOTAL (as of 7:00 p.m.): $479,320
As a key part of "Operation Santa Claus," ABC15 and Valley radio stations will give people a festive opportunity to get involved, by hosting a Claus-A-Thon on Dec. 1.
Throughout the day, ABC15 will have a donation phone bank from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. to make it easy to donate! Call 1-855-522-1515 to donate or go to givetotheclaus.com.
Our “Operation Santa Claus” has been helping families in need enjoy the holidays for 21 years! The annual charity drive kicked off Nov. 18 on ABC15, with donors entered into a weekly drawing to be one of 15 finalists to win a new vehicle.
“Operation Santa Claus” is an Arizona tradition. It’s a partnership between ABC15 and Sanderson Ford to collect food, toys, clothes and monetary donations for Arizona charities.
This year’s charities are:
- St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance
- Special Olympics Arizona
- Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC)
- Military Assistance Mission (MAM)
- Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC)
Operation Santa Claus runs through Dec. 20. The vehicle giveaway will be live during ABC15’s Sonoran Living at 9 a.m., Dec. 22.
Donation drop-off locations:
- Sanderson Ford – 6400 North 51st Ave. in Glendale
- Sanderson Lincoln – 2121 West Bell Rd. in Phoenix
- Sanderson Lincoln Boutique – 15345 North Scottsdale Road
- All of The UPS Store locations across the Valley
- Authorized Operation Santa Claus events listed at givetotheclaus.com
Online donations also can be made throughout the campaign at givetotheclaus.com.
Donors who contribute $5 or more will be entered to win a new vehicle. Sanderson Ford and Lincoln will randomly select one donor to win the choice of a new Ford F150 truck or Lincoln Nautilus. Fifteen finalists will also receive a $100 Visa gift card.
ABC15 and Sanderson Ford, Lincoln and Lincoln Boutique are partnering with The UPS Store locations, iHeartMedia, Bonneville Media, Hubbard Radio and Entercom Radio for this year’s drive.
“21 years of Operation Santa Claus is incredible! I’m so proud of our employees, partners and our community for working together and building Operation Santa Claus bigger and better every year, ” said David Kimmerle, president of Sanderson Ford and Sanderson Lincoln. “This year, the need is even greater. Thousands of families throughout the Valley are counting on us. I really believe the community can and will come together to raise the bar one more time.”
“Operation Santa Claus has been bringing joy to Arizona families for 21 years! Now more than ever we want to give everyone a chance to enjoy this special time of year,” said Anita Helt, vice-president and general manager at ABC15. “ABC15 is proud to be part of a community project that consistently takes action to help our neighbors in need. We could not do this without our partners and viewers who generously dig deep every year and give.”
For more information go to givetotheclaus.com.
For media inquiries, contact:
Suzanna Stanton
Community Manager
602-685-3019
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is one of the nation’s leading media companies, focused on creating a better-informed world through a portfolio of news, information and entertainment brands. Scripps will become the nation’s largest television broadcaster, reaching 73% of U.S. television households through 108 stations in 76 markets, pending regulatory approval of its acquisition of ION Media. Committed to serving local audiences through objective journalism, Scripps operates 60 local TV stations in 42 markets. It is creating a national TV networks business that will include ION Media’s entertainment programming, Newsy’s straightforward headline and documentary news content and the five popular Katz broadcast networks including Bounce and Court TV. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
About Sanderson Ford
Founded in 1955, Sanderson Ford is a family owned and operated Ford dealership located at 6400 N. 51st Avenue in Glendale, Ariz. The dealership represents one of the largest Ford dealerships in the country and boasts the largest new and used car inventory in the state. As “the dealership that service built,” Sanderson Ford prides itself in providing excellent customer service and giving back to the community it serves. Its annual Operation Santa Claus drive has netted millions of dollars for local charities for more than a decade. For more information, visit sandersonford.com.
