On a recent Saturday morning, a pair of horse-drawn wagons and riders on horseback made their way through Powell and Cody, delivering Christmas trees and other gifts to families in need of some holiday cheer.

Not long after the “Cowboys for Christmas” stopped by one of the homes in Cody, a comment popped up on the group’s Facebook page.

“All the kids and I can talk about is how amazing your visit to our home was. We’re sitting here with the biggest smiles,” the family wrote. “So thankful to all of you.”

As the day went on, more messages arrived and “pretty much all of them were like that,” said Cayla Norris, one of the group’s Powell members.

Cowboys for Christmas has been brightening area residents’ holidays for the past three years. On Dec. 11, the cowboys provided 27 different families — including 50 children — with trees, nonperishable foods, candy canes, Play-Doh, Matchbox cars, diapers, wipes and gift certificates to restaurants and grocery stores in Powell, Cody, Lovell, Basin and Byron. That was up from 23 families a year ago. And thanks to a sizable jump in donations that came from as far off as Florida and Canada, “we were able to make the [gift] bags much bigger,” Norris said.

In keeping with the group’s cowboy theme, horse-drawn wagons were used to deliver the trees in Powell and Cody. Kids from neighboring residences hurried out to pet the horses, and were offered toys, too.

Adding to the excitement was the presence of the Grinch, gamely portrayed by Norris’ husband Caleb, who donned a green furry suit and mask to look the part of the Whoville antagonist.

“I’ve seen you on a movie!” one little girl cried out to the Grinch as she approached the wagon.

The joy was something the Cowboys for Christmas saw throughout this month’s stops in Powell, Norris said, as “they were really over the moon, just super grateful and excited.”

Norris herself is thankful for all of the people who provided donations, made deliveries and helped make it another successful year for the group.

For Christmas 2022, Norris said the group is hoping to deliver even bigger bags of goods.

“We’d like to just give more every year,” she said.

Donations to Cowboys for Christmas — which is working to formally organize as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — can be sent via PayPal to cowboysforchristmaswy@gmail.com or via Venmo to @cowboysforchristmaswy.