The Orange County Register
December 1st, 2009

Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s holiday card- the most eagerly-awaited piece of mail on Capitol Hill is here – in your inbox.

Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, has a new twist on her annual message. She’s sent out e-cards and is using the money she’s saving on printing and postage to help needy non-profit agencies in Orange County.

The idea to help out local charities came to Sanchez a couple of months ago, she said. “I started thinking just how difficult the economy was and whether there was something we could do. I had so many people coming into my office and to my Saturday office hours telling me they are out of jobs. And I’ve gotten so many requests for donations.’’

And given the focus on the environment, she figured she’d go green with this year’s holiday greeting.

This year’s card definitely maintains Sanchez’s style of mixing humor, political satire and of course her white fluffy cat, Gretzky.

The message is: Whether it’s with the stars or under festive lights, may your heart dance with joy this holiday season.” A not-so-happy Gretzky is saying: “Eat your heart out Tom DeLay.”

The picture of her dancing was actually taken last year but was beat out by Sanchez the biker. Click here to see some of Sanchez’s previous holiday cards.

“Especially with the fact that Tom DeLay was on Dancing with the Stars I knew this was the year’’ for that photo, she said.

Believe it or not Sanchez actually has been taking ballroom dancing in Santa Ana for several years. Who knew?

“It’s great exercise,’’ said Sanchez, who said she wanted to learn how to waltz ands tango and fox trot ands she loves it. The guy in the picture is her dancing instructor, Slava Stefanov.

But don’t worry; the former Republican leader doesn’t have to worry about Sanchez horning in on his Dancing with the Stars bit. She says she’s too busy voting on bills in the House to dance on television.

Sanchez said they will have some cards for people who don’t have access to emails. You can get a real card from her office, she said. Or if you run into Sanchez who says she’ll be keeping some cards in her purse.

The money to pay for the printing and postage of the cards always comes out of her campaign account. By doing an e-card, Sanchez estimated she’ll be saving about $50,000 to $60,000 and will use a big chunk of that for the donations to charity.
People who signed up for her holiday card will see as part of the message a way for them to make an application for their nonprofit organization to compete for a Sanchez grant. Or you can just go to her campaign web site. The deadline for submitting applications is Dec. 14.

Sanchez said she will have a committee of people in the community to sift through the applications and make the selection.

“I’m not going to have anything to do with it,’’ she said.

How much money the groups get will depend on how many applications she gets and what the committee decides.

“The contest will be for the small and medium nonprofits – not the large ones; places where $1,000 or $5,000 will really make a difference.’’ She said she’s hoping that organizations who help out with people’s health care needs, after school programs, feeding people or maybe help people stay in their apartments or keep their lights on will be the beneficiaries of this money.

Sanchez said she’ll announce the recipients right before the Christmas holiday.