Dressed in full costume, Cody Yockey, Ben Yockey, and Bill Hooks are greeted by event coordinator Lori Murphy at last Saturday’s Halloween Dance at the Washington Township Fire Hall.
The local non-profit, “Christmas for Kids,” has been in fund-raising mode as they near the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season.
The group held a dance at the Washington Township Fire Hall last Saturday. “Street Fair” band provided music.
Group coordinator Lori Murphy said the first holiday event will be to prepare as many as 560 meals for Thanksgiving.
“We deliver meals on Thanksgiving Day to anyone in need. We deliver to all the highrises, (and other places like) the vets center,” she explained.
It takes approximately 50 volunteers to prepare the food and another 50 to deliver it.
“We start on Monday and clean all the turkeys. We cook them and de-bone them all on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday morning, we show up here at 5AM, put all the meals together, and they are ready for delivery by 10AM. It’s all organized as to who goes where and how many. It’s a really huge project.”
Murphy said nothing is left out of the dinner.
“It’s a whole Thanksgiving dinner, so you get turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, noodles, green beans, cole slaw, roll and butter, pumpkin pie.”
Last year, the group cooked 46 turkeys – many donated by area businesses and civic organizations.
The Washington Township Fire Department donates their hall for fundraising and food preparation.
The “Christmas for Kids” organization was founded by Washington Township resident Audrey Johns, who began in 1995. Following her death in 2011, Murphy assumed the leadership position of the group.
Even while Thanksgiving preparations are being done, plans for Christmas is also in full swing.
“I have families that call me who need help. I send them out an application. The application includes a ‘wish list’ to be used as a guide for the children. We can’t buy everything their child is wishing for, but it all depends on how much money we raise that year as to how much money we can spend on each child.”
The group then goes shopping and will spend between $5,000 and $11,000.
“Walmart in Natrona Heights shuts down their garden center. They have someone there that checks us out. We have the wish list. The volunteer buyers know how much they can spend. I pay for it as they come through and we put it in a big garbage bag with the family name so we know which family those items go to. We also buy wrapping paper so the parents can wrap the gifts. We meet the families that day after we are done shopping. And they take it home and wrap them up so Santa can bring them to the kids. I have done as many as 150 children,” Murphy said. “There are a lot of people who know this has been going on for many years and are gracious to donate.”
To request an application or arrange to make a donation, call Murphy at 724-545-6021.
“STREET FAIR” - Buzz, Mark, and Richie provided entertainment with songs of various genres at the Halloween Dance at the Washington Township Fire Hall last Saturday.