History and Purpose of the Santa Project

History of the Santa Project in Australia

The Santa Project was started in Australia by the Rotaract Club of Toowoomba, Queensland before 1978 and by 1985 had spread across Australia and into New Zealand.

District 960 (now 9600) in Queensland was the first to take up the project as a District-wide initiative in 1978. In the first four years this District had raised $11,500 for research into SIDS.

In 1985 over 650 Santas across Australia helped raise over $48,500. The main beneficiaries were SIDS, the Dystrophic Epidermotocysis Bullosa Research Association (DEBRA), and other organisations.

Unfortunately, the Santa Project has been discontinued in most states, due to a lack of available volunteers. Perth is one of the few Australian cities which still offers this unique service.

The Santa Project in Western Australia

In 1981 a small group of people persuaded the Rotaractors of WA that they should be involved in the Santa Claus Project. In the first year, $1,600 was raised. Since then, well over $150,000 has been distributed to numerous West Australian beneficiaries.

The Santa project is registered in Western Australia under the name "Dial-A-Santa". These days, Dial-A-Santa typically raises around $4,000 from Santa visits in Perth each year.

The purpose and objectives of the Santa project in Western Australia are:

• To deliver a service that brings community and family units together during the Christmas season, providing an unforgettable memory to children that Santa made a special visit to them.
• To raise money for medical research into child related diseases and deaths.
• To pursue the goals and objectives of Rotaract as outlined in the Standard Rotaract Constitution and to promote Rotaract, inter-district cooperation between the Rotaract Districts in Western Australia, and interaction with Rotarians.