Some Christmas presents were delivered a little early to some children living in the Westville area over the weekend. Bill Pickett explains….
This marks the 49th year for Santa’s Anonymous…a program that helps families in need at Christmas time. The program is assisting nearly forty families this year and 84 children, according to Debbie Seripinas. She and the late Cindy Pataki started Santas Anonymous in 1976.
“Cindy and I were friends, and we decided to buy some gifts for some people in need that first year. But it ended up being a little more than we intended as twenty families were helped,” said Seripinas during an interview with Central Illinois Media Group (CIMG) News.
(Debbie Seripinas – on left – along with Ellen Peck, in middle, and Darlene Pasierb Oakes, check the delivery list on Saturday as crews prepare to depart from Westville High School. Peck is the late Cindy Pataki’s sister.)
Each year people donate items which are then sorted and wrapped by an army of Westville area volunteers. But they do more than just wrap them, Santa actually delivers them to the children’s homes. The deliveries occurred on Saturday (December 20, 2025).
Westville American Legion Post 51 supplies a site to store the items until it is time to take them to Westville High School for the annual toy sort. “We always need a little muscle power (for the move) and high school football players and other athletes help,’’ said Seripinas.
This year there were 15 requests for bicycles and Seripinas says “several people pitched in to get them.” In addition to toys Santas Anonymous also supplies gift cards for the local IGA Store for some families in need.
Seripinas credits the volunteers for keeping the program going all these years. And she is thrilled that some young people have helped keep it going. “We still have a lot of people who want to keep it going,” added Seripinas as she looks forward to the 50th anniversary of Santa’s Anonymous next year.
