Greatest Person of the Day
Despite Personal Tragedy, Local Santa Brings Joy to Sick Children
Lemont resident Earl Anderson will distribute as many as 16,000 toys this year in memory of his late son.
UPDATE: Earl Anderson has been chosen as the Huffington Posts's Greatest Person of the Day, which features stories of people across the nation who are confronting major issues and making a difference in their community. Congratulations, Earl! - - - - - - - - - - - - When Earl Anderson’s 28-year-old son, Jeff, was killed in a car accident 12 years ago, Anderson considered hanging up his sleigh. The Lemont resident had been dressing as Santa Claus and visiting needy children since the age of 20, sometimes bringing along his own children—including Jeff—dressed as elves. After the tragic loss, Anderson wasn’t sure he could go on playing Santa. “I thought about quitting, but my wife and others convinced me that Jeff would want Santa to go on,” …
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Becca G.
9:06 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Thanks to Mr. Anderson, he helped supply toys for the over 45 kids that the Lemont Police Department and Dist. 113A school needed to make sure every child had a Christmas in Lemont (plus gifts were being equally distributed among siblings). Budgets were tight this year and not every child would have been helped without his donation of toys this year! Each year he always comes through to make sure… more ›