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This year, Santa is getting some extra help to find out who’s been naughty or nice. UPS driver, Newberry Commissioner, and now Elf on the Shelf
Tony Mazon is traveling around the city checking on everyone before Saint Nick arrives.
“I said I want to spread some cheer, I want to spread some cheer throughout Newberry,” explained Mazon.
He said the support from the community had meant a lot to him.
Manager Nikki Noo and driver Steve Flynn visited the brothers home to give them a Christmas to remember.
UPS staff member Andy Hicks even played Santa for more than two hours for the boys to enjoy.
The mother of the boys Emma-Claire Wright said: “One of my sons has autism and attends Manor Green school in ifield. One of the things that he loves are UPS trucks. He calls them Santa trucks and thinks they work for Santa delivering special parcels.
“I contacted UPS to see if I could pay them to deliver a special Santa letter to my sons this year as they would be so excited that a Santa’s helper delivered their letter directly from the big man himself!
We recently received an email about a UPS driver named Robert. Here’s what it said:
Holidays are here and shipping and delivery are keeping those UPS drivers very busy. We have on our route a young man named Robert.
During the pandemic, I never saw Robert without a smile! Still, to this day, he smiles while dropping packages at their destination! I’ve even driven by a delivery and saw him singing! However, Robert has “his signature.” He beeps his horn as he arrives AND when he leaves the delivery. Not just my place but EVERY stop he makes! I always know when Robert is in the neighborhood because I hear him beep his horn. He is like the ice cream truck.
To protest the unfair firing of a co-worker, on Tuesday morning 150 UPS drivers in Chicago took a simple action: they didn’t go into work early.
Instead, they gathered outside with an inflatable fat cat. They grilled food, played music, and then walked in together, right on time.
This departure from routine was enough to throw their management into a panic.
“Every day is a battle on the shop floor over who’s got power and who doesn’t,” said driver Sean Orr, an elected shop steward in Teamsters Local 705. “Management loves to throw in our face the fact that they’ve got the power to fire. They’ve cost a lot of people precious income to prove a point.”
Several families gathered outside the UPS facility in Lafayette on Thursday to show appreciation to drivers.
“Our loved ones work so hard during the season,” said Sara Ripke.
It’s the perfect time of year to celebrate the men and women working long hours to make sure our holiday packages are delivered in a timely and safe manner.
“My daughter’s dad, she doesn’t get to see him very often so it’s just important that they know how thankful we are for all of the hard work they do,” said Sara Ripke.
More than 50 delivery trucks left the UPS facility in Lafayette Thursday morning with dozens of packages. CBS news reports that more than 60 percent of shoppers are buying online this year compared to 50 percent in 2019. Some people want to avoid long lines and others, because of COVID-19. In 2020 online shopping increased more than 70 percent.