The charity started in 2015 after East Idaho News news director Nate Eaton was called by an anonymous person who wanted $100,000 in gifts for those in need.
All he needs from the media station is an information site to help him identify people who need money. This project was an incredible feat, and many people were nominated across Idaho on the first try.
Since then, the project has grown and grown rapidly, with the East Idaho News Secret Santa YouTube channel boasting over 33,000 subscribers. Since the project began, they are in their fifth year and donation money has soared to $500,000, with over 2,000 people nominated by Media House.
According to East Idaho News, Secret Santa helps people who don’t have money, who have special needs and who are hard-working. And last year, the East Idaho TV news crew showed up at Eric and Brad. And even though they knew about the anonymous donation going on in their area, they never expected East Idaho News staff to name them.
So when the TV crew visited Brad and his family, Erica was the first to see them and immediately started crying because she couldn’t believe it. When they opened the gift, they discovered they had received $50,000 to cover Brad’s medical bills and finish their home.
Although there is still a long way to go for the family, the $50,000 will play an important role in bringing joy back to the family. In a few months, Brad and his family will move into their new home and he will also undergo hip surgery, according to a report from Eastern Idaho News. This means that Brad will look for a new job and come back to support his family.
Thanks to the secret benefactor, many families like Brad enjoy Christmas Day with laughter and joy. Although this program only works in East Idaho, many people in the United States and other countries appreciate the work done by Secret Santa and East Idaho News.
Thanks to social media, the project is now known worldwide and benefits not only the people who receive gifts, but also the viewers who watch the videos.
