Santas Anonymous is gearing up for another season of helping to brighten Christmas for Jasper families in need ,and there are numerous ways you can pitch in.

For starters, gift collection boxes are in place at locations throughout the town where you can easily drop off items. The boxes can be found everywhere from the hospital to the Jasper Activity Centre to various downtown stores.

“There are 20 gift collection boxes out there now,” said local Santas Anonymous co-ordinator Ann Thomas. “So people have no excuse to not see them.”

If you’d like to donate something but aren’t sure what to give, suggestions are available at three “mitten lines” around town. Each paper mitten on the lines was prepared and decorated by local Girl Guides and has written on it a particular item that has been requested.

“They are quite an effective way of communicating to the public what the specific requests of each family are,” Thomas said.

If you see an item you’d like to donate, Thomas said you can simply take the mitten, buy the item, tape the mitten to it, and drop the item off at one of the donation boxes. There are detailed instructions at each of three mitten lines: the general mitten line at the activity centre, the clothing mitten line at Totem Ski Shop, and the toy mitten line at Treehouse Toys and Gifts.

Thomas said Treehouse offers a 15-per-cent discount on items purchased for donation to Santas Anonymous. She said you can also have one per cent of your grocery bill at Super A Foods donated by simply identifying Santas Anonymous as your charity of choice during checkout.

Of course, she added, direct donations are also gratefully accepted from individuals or businesses. Tax receipts are provided.

Volunteers are also needed to help pack hampers on Dec. 20, 21 and 22, Thomas said.

Tickets have been selling quickly for another Santas Anonymous fundraising event – the Santa Train. Tickets for the morning train sold out shortly after they went on sale Dec. 1 at More than Mail, Thomas said, and tickets for the afternoon train were going fast, too. The Santa Train runs Dec. 13 in Jasper.

For more information on how you can help out with Santas Anonymous, email santas_anonymous@yahoo.ca