Underprivileged kids treated at Jaycee party
Close to 100 children benefited from the annual McMinnville Jaycees Christmas party for underprivileged children held Thursday at the Civic Center.
The party provided each needy child with approximately $50 worth of toys, candy, and clothes, including socks, toboggans, sweat suits and gloves. In addition to their gifts, the children attending the Christmas party were also treated to lunch, courtesy of Domino’s Pizza and Dr Pepper.
Traditionally the club’s biggest project of the year, the Jaycees Christmas party was one of the first projects adopted by the club after its founding in 1939 and has been an annual event since the mid-1940s.
“This is our big payoff, what all of our hard work and dedication all year goes toward,” said Jaycees president Harrison Woodlee.
The close to $5,000 spent by the club on the children (who were referred to the Jaycees by school teachers and counselors) was raised by a variety of club fund-raisers, including the Jaycees food booth at the Warren County A&L Fair, two beauty pageants, a golf tournament, a car wash and the concession stand at the Jaycees softball complex.
Jaycees Christmas party chairperson Calisha Craven said this year’s party was an overwhelming success.
“It was very touching because you know that for most of these children, the Christmas they have here will be better than the one they have at home,” she said. “This one party makes all of our work all year long worth it.”