Operation Christmas Joy: 8-year old creates annual gift giveaway with ‘big heart and big plans’

WASILLA — Santa’s got a new helper in town.

Local 8-year-old boy Dallas Sandvik started a new holiday tradition, raising funds to provide gifts to local children and seniors.

Sandvik’s mother Staci Sawvell couldn’t be more proud.

“I’m extremely proud of him. It makes me feel really good to see do something like that on his own. It makes me feel good that he wants to make other people feel good,” Sawvell said. “I told him the other day, him being the way he is and having the heart he does is all I needed for Christmas this year, that him doing that makes me proud and that he’s the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.”

Sawvell said that Sandvick started off small and selected one boy and one girl from the Angel Tree program, providing toys, winter gear, clothing, pajamas, and stocking stuffers. She said he told her that he wanted to help more people, so they brainstormed ways to reach more people.

They reached out to Wasilla Area Seniors Inc, and received a list of items they could pick up for two senior residents.

“He had so much fun shopping for everybody… He’s all about the giving,” Sawvell said.

Sandvick has been raising money for donations since November. Sawvell said her son’s original idea was to sell his toys so he could buy toys for local families in need as a result of COVID-19. She said they talked about it and came up with the idea to sell crafts. She said his grandmother gave him a $25 startup to buy craft supplies, and they started up a Facebook group with family and friends to collect donations.

“He had everybody from his great aunt in California to the secretaries and teachers at the school he goes to,” Sawvell said of her fun, a Finger Lake Elementary student.

Sandvik’s cousin Lily Campbell helped him come out with a name for his charitable mission, Operation Christmas Joy.

“He’s always had a really big heart,” Sawvell said.

Sawvell said that her son set out to make this an annual tradition with even bigger ambitions for the future. She said that he plans to raise money throughout the year instead of starting in November to help as many people as he can.

“He’s got a big heart and he’s got big plans,” Sawvell said.

Marlene Munsell helped connect Sandvik to the WASI residents around the same time as her annual blanket drive supporting local seniors in the community. She said that she was very touched by the philanthropic boy’s story and his willingness to give up his toys to help others. She said the woman recipient cried with joy when she opened her gifts from the thoughtful third grader.

“She was very moved,” Munsell said. “When he came over to bring, through the mask you could see the glee. He was so happy that he was giving back. A lot of times all you hear is what the children aren’t doing, not what the children are doing. I just think it’s amazing that an eight-year-old would think of others and think to give back.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com