‘Secret Santas’ take care to hide identities

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34420690/ns/us_news-giving/

updated 5:39 p.m. ET, Mon., Dec . 14, 2009

CHICAGO - The gold coins have arrived in much the same manner every year for the past four years: An anonymous donor dropped each one into a Salvation Army kettle somewhere in Fort Myers, Fla.

Each coin was tucked inside a small plastic case with a neatly handwritten note that said simply, "In memory of Mimi."

Every holiday season, such acts of generosity raise intriguing questions about the mysterious unknown donors. These "secret Santas" provide gifts ranging from plates of cookies to substantial piles of cash, and they are not in it for the glory or even the tax write-off. Many go to great lengths to keep their identities cloaked.

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