LAPLACE — Angel Munoz-Bullock of LaPlace adores Christmas, and one of her favorite childhood traditions was bringing handwritten letters to Macy’s to mail to the North Pole.

“That was such an awesome time in my life as a child,” Bullock said. “I noticed no one really does the mailboxes anymore.”

Inspired by her three grandchildren, ages 3, 1 and 1, Bullock had a vision to keep the tradition alive for St. John the Baptist Parish children.

“At first I wanted to do it for my grandkids, but then I thought about doing it for the whole community,” she said.

With help from friends, Bullock purchased a special mailbox to route Santa letters to the North Pole.

St. John residents are welcome to drop off letters in the red mailbox located at 23 Ridgewood Drive in LaPlace at any time until Dec. 21.

Bullock will be outside dressed as an elf at 6 p.m. each evening except on Thursdays to greet families and hand out candy canes.

Families can expect Santa to mail a letter back to the child’s address within three to five business days. Children on the nice list will also receive a certificate.

More than 40 parents reached out to inquire about the mailbox prior to its official opening, according to Bullock, who said she anticipates the project becoming a long-standing and successful tradition for her family.

Though her friends have asked her if she’s afraid of being overwhelmed with letters, Bullock is confident God will help her manage it and see that every child is able to hear back from Santa.

She said families dropping off letters are welcome to stop to see her Christmas lights and take pictures with blow-ups and other yard decorations.

“Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I’m really excited to do this,” Bullock said. “Everyone’s excited about it. I’m definitely going to keep it going.”

For more information, call Bullock at 985-210-5136.