Charity event ready to help 2,500 children

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Charity event ready to help 2,500 children

County News

Friday, 12 November 2010 14:13

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

Last year, when the first Christmas for the Kids event occurred, nearly 700 children in Osceola County were given presents.
This year, after an outpouring of community support, both financially and in manpower, the event's committee plans to provide 2,500 homeless and needy children with gifts.

With grants from the Osceola County School District and the Osceola County Council on Aging totaling $50,000 as well as $15,000 worth of toys being donated by Disney and the Orlando Margarita Society, the event could very well meet its goal.
“I wouldn't be surprised if we surpassed 2,500 kids,” Danny Quinn, chairman of the Christmas for the Kids event, said. “It's an unbelievable event that really tugs at your heartstrings.”
Publix is providing gift cards for the families to purchase Christmas dinners and Rockers Lockers has donated free storage space to help with all the donations.
“The involvement from the community just goes on and on,” Quinn said.
Last year, the event was put on for just $28,000 and was conceived in October, giving organizers just two months to put everything together. This year, event planning started earlier.
“It's turned into really something special,” Quinn said.
The children are being identified by school social workers out of the 66 percent of students who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. As of Oct. 29, the School District has 53,070 students registered and more than 35,000 of them qualify for the free or reduced lunch program because of their family's socio-economic status. Those children targeted will be given vouchers as the event is not open to the public.
“There’s so many kids in need,” Quinn said.
Meredith Griffin, the homeless education liaison for the School District, said there are 1,100 homeless students in Osceola County and urged people to choose organizations that are providing for Osceola County families and kids.
“Consider donating locally. These are our kids in our schools,” she said. “We're just trying to take care of our own.”
Griffin said that while some organizations are better known, such as Toys for Tots, oftentimes these organizations overlook Osceola County.
Quinn said the funds and donations for Christmas for the Kids goes back to Osceola County children 100 percent.
“None of these funds go outside of Osceola County,” he said.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will make an appearance and the Osceola Community Choir will provide entertainment at the Dec. 10 event. Fire Rescue will bring fire trucks for the youngsters to look at.
Holiday wrapped donation boxes have been placed at various locations around the county, including police and fire stations, government buildings, all FAIRWINDS Credit Union and Chase Bank locations and both Chamber of Commerce buildings. The public is urged to donate unwrapped, new toys for this event.
Additionally, for anyone who wishes to donate money for the gifts, send the donation to the Osceola County Council on Aging, 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee, FL 34744. Put “Christmas for the Kids” in the memo and “attention Connie Bellanceau” on the envelope.