MINDEMOYA—The lineups were long and the smiles were wide, not only on the children who had the opportunity of getting their Christmas gift lists filled, but also on the many volunteers who helped put on the Kids Shop Free event this past Saturday at the Mindemoya United Church.
Erwin Thompson, a first time volunteer personal shopper, said, “this is a lot of fun. The children’s eyes are the size of saucers; the spirit of the Christmas season is in their eyes.”
Children from all areas around Manitoulin Island, and even from as far away as Espanola, took part. Thanks to the support of so many donations of gifts made towards the Kids Shop Free day, the many kids who packed the basement of the church hall during the day had the chance to choose gifts for every member of their family, from parents to grandparents, brothers, sisters aunts and uncles.
There were all kinds of stuffed toys, Christmas decorations and ornaments, Duck Dynasty videos, slippers, puzzles, chocolate, socks, candle holders, picture frames, glasses, mugs, sweaters, recipe books, jigsaw puzzles, toys, jewellery and much, much more.
Once a child had chosen the presents they were going to give for Christmas, several volunteers were on hand to wrap the gifts.
“Marion (Seabrook) had a wonderful idea to have this type of kids shop free event,” stated volunteer Tom McQuay.
“It was a very successful day,” said Willie Munro, one the many organizers and volunteer participants who helped put on the event. “We handed out a total of 771 tickets to the children to pick out gifts. At the end of the day there was just a few things left on the tables.”
“There definitely wasn’t much left, less than we have ever had before at the end of the day,” said Ms. Munro. What was left will go toward Christmas hampers and to Manitoulin Family Resources to give to needy families, she said.
Ms. Munro said, “I was talking to one lady who was telling me she had brought her daughter here for the first time to this event a couple of years ago. And on Christmas Day her granddaughter, who came as well and participated, didn’t look or seem to be interested in her own gifts until everyone in the family had opened the gift she had chosen for them. That is absolutely the essence of what Marion (Seabrook) was trying to do by having the Kids Shop for Free Christmas event; the children enjoy giving gifts as they do receiving them.”
“I thought that story was really, really neat; it means that we are doing what Marion (Seabrook) had wanted to see with this event being taking place,” added Ms. Munro.
