Golden Drive brings holiday cheer to the needy

"We have raised over 18,000 pairs of socks this year."

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Santa is helping Golden Drive raise money and homelessness awareness in the cold.

Santa and his helpers are ringing their bells at the West Fargo Fire Department accepting donations to help homeless kids in the community.

“It warms me so much that it helps me pass the -40 nights up in the North Pole. Especially this time of year, during the pandemic, there are more and more people that need your help,” Golden Drive Homeless Kids volunteer Erik Kester said.

An idea that once started with a single coloring crayon, spurred into one of the biggest donation drives in the region. The Golden Drive brings in thousands of donations and homelessness awareness to the Fargo-Moorhead area.

“There has been an enormous amount and this year alone. The Christmas drive itself, has tripled and that is due to all the great people. Tens of thousands have been raised and that is just when our Christmas event started November 1 and we have already disbursed many truckloads,” Golden Drive Homeless Kids Founder Susan Baron said.

The group of volunteers also hosts a sock drive. This year they raised a record-high, doubling that of last year’s amount.

“I am so happy to say that The Golden Drive, the law enforcement in our community, we have raised over 18,000 pairs of socks this year,” Baron said.

A local teen helped the drive achieve that number, bringing in over 1,500 socks.

“I think helping others that don’t have as much is really important because they need it more than us, even if it is not an actual toy and it is like something that they actually need,” Sock donor Ava Fearing said.

The success of the drive gives the recipients of the donations and volunteers joy.

“If I can help here and be of service to others, that gives me joy,” Volunteer Julie Possehl said.

The Golden Drive hosts several donation drives and events throughout the year.