MIDALE — Last year Mariah Erickson of Midale sent 500 Christmas cards out, but this season she decided to up her efforts and will deliver closer to 1,000 holiday letters, spreading the festive spirit and joy.
Erickson says she's always enjoyed sending and receiving Christmas cards, and her campaign just kept growing and changing with time.
"Last year I did more exchanges and international cards," Erickson shared in an email to the Mercury. "This year I did a twist on it. A lot of the cards were hand-delivered."
She added that this year she had many helpers, assisting her with her Christmas card campaign.
"I sent to a lot to senior homes, to Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon, I sent [cards] to some vets in Regina, thanks to my aunt for her help with that. I also sent cards to the troops – that one is an every year tradition," Erickson shared. "I'm also sending cards to my family and friends."
She also did some exchanges with people, but only in Canada due to postage costs.
Erickson sends cards throughout the year for different occasions, and she has a lot of pieces in her possession. Her collection consists of cards that people have donated to her, and others she picked up from thrift stores. She said that even after she is done with sending out 1,000 cards this year, she would still have roughly 5,000 pieces to store. And she wanted to downsize the collection, while also making others feel good, so it motivated her to keep the campaign growing.
"Why keep them if they are just sitting when they could bring joy to someone?" Erickson said. "And people have told me before that they are having a bad day and getting a card from me turned their frown into a smile. That's part of why I do it. I just want people to know someone is thinking of them and I think it's my life's mission to bring smiles to people. Plus, I believe the world needs more smiles, and Christmas can be a difficult time for a lot of folks," Erickson shared.
She signs cards like anyone else would at Christmas time. This year she started her campaign in September, and she is not done yet. She is currently doing the final touches and finishing up with mostly her personal cards. But once she is done with her Christmas campaign, she will continue cheering others with different cards.
"I can't really give a lot to people. Sure, money is fine to give, but I've got cards and card-giving is my hobby. I send cards in general 365 days of the year. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc. I've got cards for everything and really enjoy sending them."
