Sleigh Bells and Santa provides gifts for children of deceased truckers

Truckers Final Mile is still accepting donations for its Sleigh Bells and Santa program, which provides Christmas gifts to the children of deceased truck drivers.

The Sleigh Bells and Santa campaign is open to any child age 18 or younger who lost a truck driver parent in the past year. To refer an eligible child, send a detailed email with contact and verifying information to sleighbells@TruckersFinalMile.org by Dec. 14.

New, unwrapped gifts can be mailed to TruckersFinalMile.org; 3301-R Coors Blvd. NW 293; Albuquerque, NM 87120. Cash donations will be accepted through Paypal on the website through Dec. 21. All of the money received will go toward gifts for the children.

Founded by OOIDA member Robert Palm in 2013, Truckers Final Mile is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that helps return truck drivers to their families in the event of death.

The Sleigh Bells and Santa campaign was added in 2015 and started small. Nineteen children received $834 worth of gifts in 2015. Then $1,900 worth of donations were distributed to nine families in 2016, and 12 children received gifts from a total of $1,400 worth of donations last year.

“This is a good thing,” Palm said. “This year is the first year we’ve really pushed it out to the media. We hope it grows into something recognized by the entire trucking industry in the next few years.”