By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

FAIRFIELD - Don't eat the cat food that might be next to your cookies and milk. Eat your beans and carrots.

Be happy. Take a day off.

Those were some of the messages Tristate children wrote to Santa Claus in letters that Fairfield High School students are responding to.

Headed by the National Honor Society (NHS), about 100 teens agreed to act as Santa's secretaries and are personally responding to the letters addressed simply to "Santa Claus, North Pole." The Cincinnati Post Office's distribution center supplied letters to the teens.

"I wish I would have gotten a letter back when I was a kid," said Sarah Dawson, 18, who faithfully wrote Santa Claus every year when she was small.

The project began Wednesday after Principal Monica Mitter read about a similar effort in a magazine. Senior Jessica Falkenthal immediately agreed to organize the campaign and within 24 hours 100 students had each agreed to write 10-15 responses.

One of the letters Jessica opened had a heart from a child with a request for Santa to keep it with him.

"As soon as I respond, it's going in my pocket," said Jessica, 18.

Not all letters, were jolly. About 100 letters were from families or individuals requesting help - like the letter from a 24-year-old college student who had no money to pay for her mother's funeral and was given custody of her twin 17-year-old siblings, one who had a six-month-old daughter. Or the letter from parents requesting gifts for their nine children.

"I was very teary-eyed," said Rabina Kichar, 17. "You really do realize how privileged you are. All I wanted to do was help."

Some school groups, teachers and staff adopted families. A plea for help was sent to businesses by Jeff Kursman, the district's school and community relations director.

"We had people (on staff) come out of the woodwork offering to help," said Trish Lutterbie, NHS sponsor. "Some offered to take families shopping or buy presents or supply dinners."

The response by the students was so good this year that Mrs. Mitter said she would like to see the program expanded next year, having the teens respond to letters written by students at the district's elementary schools.

Any business, group or organization wishing to help a family should contact Jeff Kursman, 829-6300.