Valleywide Christmas pride
Over 60 bikes were donated to the causes by the Washington State Plumbers and Steamfitters Union and were among the many Christmas gifts distributed to kids in the Kellogg, Wallace and Mullan school districts.
Courtesy photo
KELLOGG — Santa's Workshop, The Wallace Christmas Fund and the Mullan Community Foundation have had another big year distributing gifts to children in need from one end of the Silver Valley to the other.
Though each organization operates as a separate entity, Scott Fenn of the Wallace Christmas Fund said they all work together with the shared purpose of providing Christmas presents to local families in need.
In Kellogg, Santa’s Workshop has been running for more than 30 years alongside Toys for Tots.
Organizer Melba Gust said the process starts with parents picking up registration forms from local schools, or businesses such as the Kellogg Avista building, Healthy Resolutions, Courageous Together and Head Start.
From there, the workshop volunteers work to fill the requests for more than 300 kids with donations they receive from Toys for Tots, as well as shopping for items through community donations. “We do three gifts per family and then we put in stocking stuffers, and games and different things,” Gust explained.
Several kids were also given an extra surprise this year, courtesy of the Washington State Plumbers and Steamfitters Union who donated more than 60 bikes which were dispersed between the Kellogg and Wallace events.
In Wallace, Fenn said they follow a similar application process as Kellogg for the children of the Wallace School District.
To generate funds for their project, members of the Wallace Christmas Fund host a dinner at the Wallace Elks that includes both live and silent auctions.
Tickets for this year’s fundraiser sold out, leading to a profitable night for the cause.
Fenn said enough money was raised to provide more than 200 kids with things such as warm clothes, toys, school necessities, hygiene items and gift cards. “We try to spend around $100 per kid,” he explained.
The gifts then get sent on a special delivery and brought right to each child’s doorstep by Santa Claus and his gang. “We wrap them up and Santa Claus goes to the doors and hands the gifts to them. We have four Santas, one Mrs. Claus and you can’t forget the elves,” Fenn said.
Fenn said he has been continually impressed by the Wallace community and their support for the event. “No matter which way you look at it, it’s the generosity of this community that makes this thing go,” he said. “Without their generosity, these things just don’t work.”
The Mullan Community Foundation also saw success on their end, as foundation member Katie Murray said the event came together like a well-oiled machine.
The project was able to serve 38 kids in 18 families.
Murray said that the event kicks off early in Mullan as families sign up from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31.
The foundation then works hard all through the month of November in order to have details for the event completed by the time December hits. “When they gave this project to me, they had it down to a science. The organization of this event is wild,” she said.
Each child the foundation receives an application for is provided with a winter jacket, snow boots and gloves, as well as one outfit and three items off their wish list.
After clothes and gifts are all purchased, Murray said the parents get together and spend the day wrapping the gifts to take home.
Murray spoke on behalf of the Mullan Community Foundation saying “We are so grateful to have such great donors that we are able to do as much for the Mullan community.”