How can you help after a disaster? The residents of Medina, Ohio, came up with a unique idea that embodied the true meaning of Christmas.
In October 2024, Western North Carolina lay battered and sodden from the howling winds and relentless rain of Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, 500 miles north, in Medina, Ohio, a group of guardian angels started planning a surprise.
Rather than shipping supplies down, the plan was to ship people up for a special event called the Promise of Christmas. A fleet of buses would collect 200 Carolinians, some of whom had lost everything, and bring them to Medina, a small city some 30 miles south of Cleveland, for a weekend of holiday magic.
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Making a plan
Christmas in January might not make sense anywhere but Medina, which calls itself America’s Hometown and is best known for its popular year-round Christmas museum. Naturally, a Klaus was behind the brainstorm—Mark Klaus, that is, and his wife, Dana Klaus. The couple own Castle Noel, an indoor wonderland with winding chambers of twinkling lights, movie memorabilia, holiday displays from New York City storefronts, a toy gallery of sought-after gifts from Christmases past and more.
After seeing the hurricane’s devastating aftermath on the news, Mark took his idea to the mayor. Then the chamber of commerce. Then the fire chief. Then the rest of Medina. Everyone who caught wind of it wanted in, and before long, the Klauses had collected $250,000 in donations and 110 volunteer helpers.
Sharing the Christmas spirit
The Promise of Christmas, as they called it, went like this: A Friday night welcome dinner where everyone—child or adult—received $250 in a red envelope. On Saturday, tours of Castle Noel, where guests could lose themselves in the holiday spirit, viewing the green tunic and yellow tights worn by Will Ferrell as Buddy in the movie Elf, admiring animatronic nutcrackers, and walking through the spinning Blizzard Vortex Tunnel illusion. Next, mini golf, followed by a downtown shopping spree. Reconvene for dinner at one of the local churches. And finally, a parade starring the high school marching band, a Clydesdale-drawn carriage, an inflatable reindeer float and fireworks.
“It was about taking them away from the devastation they were living day to day and just loving on them,” says Dana.
The grateful visitors boarded the buses home on Sunday morning without having spent a cent. But Medina’s real gift wasn’t monetary—it was a renewal of faith. “When we got back to the real world, we were refreshed and ready to keep fighting,” says James Scarborough, a displaced Newtown, North Carolina, resident. “We’re already planning to go back.”
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For more than 100 years, Reader’s Digest has been known for its heartwarming true stories and focus on community. In 2017, we launched the Nicest Places in America, an annual contest that honors kind, inspiring people making a difference in their hometowns. Readers send in nominations, and Reader’s Digest’s editorial team vets the entries and whittles them down with the help of a panel of judges. This year, the judges included Today’s Al Roker, Tuesdays with Morrie author Mitch Albom, author and podcast host Mónica Guzmán, former Reader’s Digest CEO Bonnie Kintzer, StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark, and Greg Hudnall, a former associate school superintendent in Provo, Utah, which earned the title of Nicest Place in America in 2024. We are committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.