USPS is spreading joy this holiday season
Original Reporting by Seth O’Neil
The holidays are around the corner, and many people could use a helping hand. Here’s how the Postal Service is getting involved.
The United States Postal Service’s Operation Santa is going on right now. Every year, children can write letters to Santa. The USPS posts these letters online, where volunteers can adopt a letter, buy the gifts, and send them through Santa’s gift shoppe.
“They can pick more than one, they can pick an entire family. Then once they purchase the gift, we’re going to send them a QR code. They come to a postal service to mail the gift,” Jackie Villemaire, postmaster of Tampa said. “They never see the child’s address or name. With that QR code we then address the package and deliver it to the child on Christmas.”
The program began in 1912 and aims to grant as many kids’ Christmas wishes as possible. In 2017, Operation Santa went online in New York, and over the last six years, the program has expanded across the U.S.
“You know it’s not just a tradition. It’s bringing communities together through kindness and generosity one letter at a time, making sure every child gets a gift,” Villemaire said.
Saturday is the last day to adopt a letter. If you want to volunteer or send a letter, visit USPS Operation Santa dot com.
A museum that goes beyond the typical experience
Original Reporting by Cameron Churilla
A unique art destination in St. Petersburg is giving visitors more than just a typical museum experience.
Floridarama describes itself as cooler than a museum, smarter than a theme park, and weirder than a carnival. In this indoor attraction, you can wander through an art-made world created by more than 80 artists — most of them local to the Tampa Bay area.
“FloridaRAMA is this weird, wacky, wonderful immersive art museum that is inspired by kind of like the folk history of Florida and kind of everything Floridians love about Florida,” Katelyn Maher, Experience Director, said.
It’s not just for adults — the experience is designed for all ages, making it an ideal spot for families, friends, or just a unique night out.
“My favorite part is all the local artists that we have used and then how we use our tech team as well to bring their art to life in different ways,” said Nova Kukla, an employee of Floridarama.
Credits:
Anchor: Cameron Churilla
Teleprompter: Seth O’Neil
Producer: A.J. Truscello
Floor Director: Jayden Fernandez
CG: Emma Brockman
Tech Director: Jada Knobloch
Audio: Eric Charpentier
Camera: Noah Vinsky
Web Editor: Lia Marsee
Editor: Luana Schneider
Socials: Giovanna Chitto
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Anderson
Graduate Assistant: Grace Ficara