People say “it’s better to give than to receive,” and I agree. Gifts are a favorite tradition during the holiday season. As children we love ripping the shiny paper off boxes and revealing toys we’re going to play with exactly once before we move along. And then as we get older we take the time to pick perfect gifts for friends and family. Some of us even love to give so much that we get involved in gifting to charities, making holiday donations, and signing up for white elephants and Secret Santa exchanges.
I’ll admit that I love Secret Santa. I take my time checking social media and trying my best to find a gift that is going to make the person I’m shopping for smile. (Santa recipient 2020 – prepare to be blown away!) But what do you do when you draw a name and find out that you’re shopping for the person who has everything?
Each year, the r/SecretSanta subreddit hosts a gift exchange for anyone who wants to sign up. There’s no minimum or spending limit, but they suggest spending around $20 shopping for presents. Some people choose to ignore the suggestion and go very, very big with it.
One person who loves to participate in Reddit’s Secret Santa is Bill Gates. Yep. That Bill Gates.
Microsoft Windows Bill Gates.
Forbes’ Richest People Bill Gates.
Billionaire philanthropist Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates.
Bill Gates Bill Gates.
It’s no secret that Gates loves to give, and he pays no attention to the $20 recommendation. He goes big, and every year he makes someone’s holiday merry and bright by not only giving – but taking the time to learn what would make them happy and giving them exactly the gifts they’ll love. He has some help – each person submits a little information about themselves, but these are such amazingly thoughtful gifts. Among other things, he sends a very nice, personalized letter and showers his recipient with a TON of very nice things picked out just for them.
See what he did for this woman last year who loves books and Twin Peaks.
And this other woman who loves cats. He showered her with a ton of cat stuff and made charitable donations to multiple animal shelters in her name. Then he had their logos hand-drawn on cards as keepsakes for her.
He never toots his own horn, but each year redditors ask around about who the lucky recipient was until they reveal themselves and their awesome haul – and they also ask what poor creature had the challenge of getting Bill Gates something he didn’t already have. That’s because part of the rules of Secret Santa is that not only do you give, you have to receive, too. So every year, some regular Joe or Jane has their mind BLOWN when they draw a name and see that they have to choose a gift for Bill Gates. (Hint: I hear he already has a PC.)
They’re not totally out of luck. Gates fills out a wishlist and it’s these requests that really caught our eye. You may have known, but it was news to me that he really loves animals. According to the woman who was his Secret Santa last year, Gates only asks for a donation (of an unspecified amount) to a charitable organization of the sender’s choice. Like Gates, she went above and beyond.
Last holiday season, Gates received:
- A printed canvas introducing him to Second Chance to Dance Dachshund Rescue, and an explanation of why she chose that charity. (She loves Doxies!) She pledged to make a monthly donation in his name for a year.
- A handwritten card with a picture of a Dachshund
- An ornament with a picture of – you guessed it, a Doxie! – that she meant for an unobtrusive place on his tree, but that he hung front and center in a place of pride.
You can see all his gifts at the photo gallery he uploaded here.
This request seems to be something of a holiday tradition for him. Three years ago, Gates asked that his Secret Santa (at that time, unknown) use their talent to benefit a cause. The person who drew Gates’s name just so happens to be a photographer.
“I personally love photography so I thought I was going to use my Photography skills to help out my local Humane Society and take photograph they pups and help them get adopted. I had a few complications, the biggest being my work schedule aligning with the shelter’s schedule.”
As we’ve heard before, shelter photography plays a huge role in helping shelter pets find their forever homes. The right photo can really bring out a pup’s personality and help someone who sees it fall in love. Reddit user -PhotogHelp- arranged to help the Humane Society of Marion County by snapping pictures of their adoptable pets. The photos appeared on their website not long after they were taken.
As he spent time at the shelter, watching people working selflessly to find homes for animals, he decided to make his photography work with the pets there more than just a one-time gift. Gates’ request turned into the gift that kept on giving for both the shelter pets and the redditor who found a great way to give back regularly.
“I recently got the photos done. I enjoyed my time at the shelter seeing all the people there taking care of the cats and dogs. They were really heartwarming people. I have decided to go to the shelter every other Thursday to take photos.”
The gift ran a little late, but Gates was pleased to see the result.
“This year I asked my Secret Santa, in lieu of a gift, to give to a cause that matters to them.
What I got was the perfect surprise…
My Secret Santa used their photography skills to help out their local Humane Society by taking pictures of animals who need a home.
Giving your time or talent is one of the most generous gifts anyone can offer and I was really touched by it.
Thank you.”
This year’s Secret Santa is underway. While it’s likely Gates is participating again (as he has for over 6 years) who has drawn his name and who’s name he has drawn is still a secret. Whoever draws it, it’s likely that some lucky charity will have a very merry Christmas.
Featured Photo: @thisisbillgates/redditgifts.com
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