Appelo Archives revives Santa Claus tradition

submitted by Karen Bertroch

On November 27, the Appelo Archives Center will bring back an old tradition at the "Appelo Shopping Center" when Santa Claus will be available upstairs from noon to 4 p.m. Children are encouraged to bring their parents and grandparents so a multi-generation photo can be taken with Santa. Photos will be sent out right away so families have a keepsake.

For many years, parents brought their children to the Appelo Shopping Center and followed the pink shoe prints painted on the stairs to find Santa. The Center is pleased to bring back that tradition for children and their families this year. Even the pink shoes are still on the stairs for small ones to follow. Holiday decorations, books, and gifts will be for sale all day from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Treats and hot cider will be available for all, and Christmas stories will be read for children as well.

In February of this year, the Archives Center became a non-profit with the State of Washington, then in October the application for 501c3 status with the IRS was submitted. The Board is excited about progress already made this year with the new downstairs entry and the new light blue paint on all the walls to reflect the Finnish heritage of the area. The Center's mission statement reads, "The Appelo Archives Center is dedicated to encouraging the study of region-wide history by preserving collections, sponsoring community and educational activities, facilitating genealogical research, and fostering Scandinavian studies, with an emphasis on Finnish-American heritage." For more information, contact Karen Bertroch, Executive Director, at (360) 484-7103 or at (360) 749-4955.