Santa Claus Fund volunteers Beverly Gray, left, and Donna Barrett pick out age-appropriate toys to pack and ship off to needy children for Christmas. The fund, now in its 44th year, received 280 letters as of Wednesday asking for help on behalf of 542 children. The Bath and Brunswick Elks lodges collaborate to keep the program going. For today’s Santa Claus Fund report, see page A2.

HELEN FRETZ, left, and Lyni McCreary of the Santa Claus Fund go through request letters and donations Wednesday morning at their seasonal “Nor th Pole Annex” operations center in donated space at Access Climate Controlled Self Storage in Topsham.