Santas are everywhere

Santas are popping in and out of existence like quantum particles this season as Carson Valley greets the holiday season.

Subatomic physics is one explanation for the man in the red suit’s ability to be everywhere at once. The other is magic, and we’re OK either way.

It’s not the how of Santa that’s important, it’s the why.

Santa is a reminder that giving is better than receiving, which is also pretty cool.

That’s going to be the theme in these early days in December as we prepare for the annual KTVN 2 News Share Your Christmas Drive-By Food Drive on Friday.

Carson Valley residents have done remarkably well at the 12-hour food drive that benefits the Carson Valley Community Food Closet.

Volunteers are critical to making all these events function.

Students from Carson Valley Middle School’s Leadership class helped Genoans serve more than 320 breakfasts on Saturday morning. It was volunteers with Douglas County Citizens Patrol and the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue who helped keep errant motorists out of the parade route.

With winter arriving, the search and rescue team will be responding to lost and out of bound skiers on the mountain. They definitely earn their “pay” in those and our undying thanks and respect.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse is first up for any of our many holidays related to veterans.

There aren’t very many employees working for the food closet, so most of the folks who collect and weigh in the donations on Friday are volunteers.

The Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center has some paid staff members, but chances are when you visit you’ll deal mostly with volunteers.

That can be said of a lot of folks helping out at the Douglas County Community & Senior Center and the school district. Volunteers provide substantial support for the East Fork Fire Protection District.

We don’t know who runs HR at the North Pole, but we bet Santa isn’t getting a paycheck, making him the patron saint of volunteers.

Hundreds of volunteers, whether working for agencies or nonprofits or service clubs, help make Douglas County a place where we’re lucky to live.