Bank employees help Santa make holidays bright for troops

Submitted by Old Second Bank

This fall, Old Second Bank donated numerous bags and boxes of supplies and more than $2,300 to Project Santa.

Project Santa was started in 2005 by Kathy Cattani when her son was deployed to Iraq. Since Christmas of 2005, Kathy along with other volunteers have made, filled and sent more than 30,000 holiday stockings stuffed with wish list items to the troops. Many of the local senior-living facilities and other groups sew all year long to supply the stockings.

Earlier in November, Shirley Cantrell, representing the bank’s employee activities council, was on hand at Project Santa’s donation reception facility in LaSalle to present the check.

Tim Vaughan of Sugar Grove, a longtime Old Second employee and Army Reserve member who has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, says he cannot express the gratitude and appreciation that our soldiers feel when they receive these stockings along with the heartfelt well-wishes and thanks the packages represent. Anyone can also support Project Santa by visiting facebook.com/pages/Project-Santa/178589386140.