Santa's elves visit Middleton, Idaho

Steve Thompson and helpers at Santa's Workshop

Optimist Club members take on many roles in their communities and during the holidays a special role is being one of Santa's elves.

Many clubs adopt families, work in food banks, collect and redistribute toys or host a Breakfast with Santa. And a great many clubs host their biggest fundraisers of the year by selling Christmas trees.

This year, the Middleton Area Optimist Club partnered with the Greater Middleton Parks and Recreation Department to bring Santa's Workshop to life. With a donation of wooden toys from Home Depot, the Optimist Club and other community volunteers helped children in their community build a toy that they could take home with them.

Santa's Workshop was set up in the Middleton Rural Fire Department and more three hundred people enjoyed the day as part of the community's Christmas celebration that included a parade and tree lighting ceremony.