It started back in 1958 when a small group of Martin Marietta employees raised $343.50 to assist a handful of families in the community for the holiday season. Sixty-four years later, more than 100 volunteers made deliveries to over 300 families across the Denver Metro area. 

The group officially became Operation Santa Claus in 1982 where they started working as a nonprofit organization. Every third Thursday of December since, volunteers work to deliver food and gifts to families. Today, members and volunteers include Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance employees, retired employees and their families. 

“It’s really focused on giving the opportunity for the employees to give back,” said retiree Kathy Martz. 

After 11 months of fundraising through events such as an online auction, fun runs, a golf tournament, and Colorado Gives Day, it was time to set up Santa’s workshop at the Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Church in Littleton to get ready for the delivery. 

With music blasting and gifts everywhere, the volunteers were happy to be back after a two-year gap due to COVID-19. 

Operation Santa Claus continued to serve the community during the pandemic by giving gift cards to families in need.

“But this year, we are kind of doing a hybrid. So everybody is still going to come and wrap presents, but for the groceries this year, we are using the gift cards,” said board member David Lollini. 

Before gift wrapping could begin, the Operation Santa Claus board of directors worked with 12 nonprofit organizations such as Salvation Army, Family Advocacy, Care, Education, Support, and Jewish Family Services to generate a list of families in need of support. 

“There is a lot of need,” said Munoz, “People moving here from Texas, immigrants, so we get contacted by agencies for some of the immigrants that come into the area. And some people are relocating from violent and domestic abuse situations.”

Each family is assigned a number and information is given about them.. The family sheet includes the number of kids, their names, their ages, their gender and if a child wants a particular toy. For specific toys, a barcode is assigned for that child. 

All the toys are bought at Target. his year, Christy Sports donated 30 bicycles to Operation Santa Claus. 

With nearly 30 volunteers, each grabbed a family sheet and a large garbage bag and got to work.

“So say a family has four kids, you’ll see a list that will say here are the four things you need to put in that bag. You get a bag, go around and find those four items, put it in the bag and we’ll staple that sheet to the garbage bag and put it on the stage,” said Lollini. 

With retiree Dave Martz ready as Santa Claus, round two began when the doors opened for volunteer drivers and their families. Each driver picked a pin off the map and began wrapping gifts for the designated family. 

“As they wrap the gifts, they think they would like to supplement it a little bit, they come over here to the secondary toy table and get match box cards or a barbie, or another game to make sure that all the kids get something of equal value,” said board member Roy Adams.

Once the gifts are wrapped, the volunteer drivers get an envelope with a $125 gift card to King Soopers for food and they are on their way to make the delivery. 

“It doesn’t cost you a darn thing to volunteer,” said Kathy. “And what do you get back? Your heart is filled.”