The 1st Annual Diabetes Community Secret Santa

Last year, Hannah emailed me asking if I thought it would be a good idea to do a Secret Santa in the diabetes community. While I thought it was great, the idea came a little too late for it to really be feasible to launch. I had been thinking about starting one for this holiday season, and a couple weeks ago I saw a website dedicated to helping people launch a Secret Santa called Elfster.

I signed myself up and created a new event for our community. It seems fairly simple to get started, but in case you get confused, they have a great FAQ that breaks everything down for you.

Here’s the drill:
– Click on this link and sign up for the Secret Santa. While I’m not going to be too strict with who’s who, please keep this within the diabetes community. I can see all the names, so you may hear from me if you aren’t a blogger or on TuDiabetes or Diabetes Daily. Just so you know…

– You have until Sunday, December 7, 2008 to sign up. Please only sign up if you plan on participating. I cannot remove you once the draw has been done. So you will leave someone very unhappy if you leave. Likewise for joining. No late joiners. Sorry!

– Make sure you include a valid mailing address. Only the person who has drawn your name will be able to see your contact information.

– Put a few ideas for what you’d like in your Wishlist. This will help your Secret Santa buy you the perfect gift. You will also be able to ask questions anonymously, which will also help. I put the spending limit at $50, but remember, that’s the limit not the goal! A couple bloggers have suggested I lower the limit to $25 so I don’t freak people out, but seriously, it’s just a number. I don’t care how much you spend. As long as it’s meaningful, you could spend $5 or $50. Personally, I would leave it blank if Elfster would let me!

– On Monday, December 8, 2008, Elfster will automatically draw names for everyone. You will be responsible for purchasing a gift for the person chosen for you.

– If for some reason you can’t find the person’s contact information, let me know and I will get the contact information for you. That way your identity is protected.

– I am participating, but I won’t know who has selected me either. It’s done completely at random.

Have any questions? Hopefully Elfster can answer them, but if not, email me at amblass at gmail dot com. Remember, have fun!

Edit: The Secret Santa is not a project of the Diabetes O.C. Directory, so please direct all questions and concerns to me. I am the organizer of the Secret Santa.

Last Edit I Swear: The Secret Santa is open to International members of the community. If you are an International member, please email me after you sign up (I cannot see your address, so you have to tell me). Also, if you cannot afford international shipping costs, please let me know so I can remove you as a match for the draw. It’s really easy, you just have to tell me! I’ll send another reminder later.