While Santa’s sleigh may be parked for the summer, the magic of giving never takes a vacation! That’s right—Santa’s Castle is trading snowflakes for sunshine as we roll into one of our favorite events of the year: the Back-to-School Beach Bash at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) on August 23, 2025!
What’s the Buzz?
Every year, hundreds of military families gather for this splashy summer celebration, filled with fun, food, games, and most importantly, free school supplies and backpacks for military children!
Santa’s Castle, with the help of our generous donors and hardworking elves (a.k.a. volunteers), collects brand-new backpacks stuffed with school essentials to help our young heroes kick off the school year with confidence and a big smile.
What’s in the Bag?
Each backpack is carefully packed with grade-appropriate supplies:
Crayons & markers
Notebooks & folders
Pencils, pens & erasers
Rulers, glue sticks & more
And yes, we add a little sprinkle of Santa-style magic to every pack.
Why We Do It
Military kids face unique challenges—frequent moves, new schools, and parents deployed around the globe. A fresh backpack filled with supplies may seem small, but it’s a powerful way to say: We see you. We support you. We’re cheering you on.
Our mission is to make sure no military child starts the school year feeling left behind—and with your help, we’re making that a reality, one backpack at a time.
Join Us at the Beach!
Find our booth at the Back-to-School Beach Bash on August 23rd. There’ll be music, food trucks, information, and tons of fun for the whole family.
How You Can Help
Want to donate school supplies or backpacks? We’re still collecting! Please email us at admindirector@jblmsantascastle.org. Your support makes a world of difference to our littlest warriors.
Follow us on social media @SantasCastleWA and tag your photos with #BackpackMagic!
Once upon a time—okay, fine, it was 1994—in a cozy corner of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, two extraordinary women turned a humble dream into a holiday miracle.
Meet Diane Gravatt and Janet Gibson, military spouses with hearts three sizes too big and an uncanny ability to spot both a problem and its perfect solution. They weren’t looking for fame or accolades. They were just looking around their Army community and noticing something heartbreaking: young Service Members, dedicated, and self-sacrificing, were quietly struggling to afford Christmas gifts for their children.
Rather than sighing and moving on, Diane and Janet rolled up their sleeves and said, “Let’s fix this.”
But they didn’t have brand-new toys or big corporate sponsors. What they did have was determination, creativity, and a knack for TLC—Toy Loving Care.
Their early headquarters? Not exactly a castle, but a small room filled with second-hand treasures that had seen better days. Worn-out teddy bears, tired tricycles, and books with scribbles in the margins—most folks saw junk. Diane and Janet saw potential.
With the energy of Christmas elves and the precision of drill sergeants, they went to work:
They called it Santa’s Castle—not because it was fancy (not yet), but because it was magical. That first year, a handful of families walked away with gifts, dignity intact, and the sparkle of Christmas in their eyes.
Word spread like wildfire in a pine forest. Donations began trickling in. Volunteers—many of them fellow military spouses, soldiers, and even retirees—joined the cause. What started as a side project became a full-fledged mission.
Year after year, Santa’s Castle grew bigger, brighter, and bolder. And through it all, the mission never changed: help young Military Families give their kids a joyful holiday season, no matter what’s in the bank account.
Today, Santa’s Castle stands as one of the most beloved traditions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. What Diane Gravatt and Janet Gibson built—armed with kindness, elbow grease, and a whole lot of heart—has helped thousands of Military Families over the decades.
Though their tools may have started with a doll brush and a bottle of Goo-Gone, thanks to the generous donors—30 years later—the toys are all new. The impact of their work echoes in every child’s laugh on Christmas morning, in every relieved smile from a young soldier who got to play Santa for their kids.
Because sometimes, the best castles aren’t made of stone and towers—they’re built from hope, love, and a few well-scrubbed teddy bears.
Want to help keep the magic alive? Santa’s Castle still relies on community support, donations, and volunteers. After all, everyone deserves a little holiday magic—especially those who serve.
If you want to learn how to help, please fill out the form below and let our Admin Team know.
Copyright Santa's Castle © 2022 – 2025 All Rights Reserved
