Santa’s Helpers Buy
Gifts for 66 Little Angels
As Masonites Raise $2, 634 for Special Project
By Maliha Adams (December 9,
2004)
“Ready, set, go!” yelled senior Chad O’Hara as he and senior Andrew
Roller jousted with shopping carts filled to the brim with
presents. They, along with 38 other students, accompanied by SCA
co-sponsors Ms. Karin Tooze and Ms. Christine Bosl, spent Wednesday
afternoon shopping at Target for the Angel Tree Gift Drive. With $2,
634 raised or donated by 42 participating teacher-advisory groups to
spend, along with an additional $249 donated by Target, Santa will be
arriving early for 66 children in the local area.
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| The day after shopping for 66 local children, SCA members wrap up their surprises with holiday cheer. (photo by Sara Sugrue)
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An ecstatic Ms. Tooze, who along with SCA co-sponsor Ms. Christine Bosl helped organize the Angel Tree Gift Drive, with her plethoric stock of wrapping paper. (photo by Ashleigh Luthman-Hackett)
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This
is the first time George Mason has participated in such a project
which was done in conjunction with the Salvation Army. “We wanted to do
a giveback program for the community because we just finished
Homecoming and that’s a very inward student focused activity. We were
looking for an opportunity to help the community,” commented Ms.
Tooze. Forty dollars were spent on each child, half on something
practical and the rest on toys. A majority of the children were under
the age of 12, some as young as two. Teenage shoppers had a
surprisingly challenging time buying presents, having to look back on
their not-so-distant past to come up with appropriate gifts. It was
like reliving their own childhood fantasies, buying toys they once used
to have or always wished they had.
The female shoppers enjoyed purchasing coordinating outfits and
accessories for their assigned girls and boys. Guys less accustomed to
shopping sprees found it a somewhat daunting task to find suitable
gifts for their female recipients, having to seek advice from the
experts of course. All of them tried to make the best use of the $40
for each child, wanting to get the most out of each purchase, hunting
for the coolest toy, the trendiest clothes, the best gift. “When we
first started talking about the drive, I never would have expected all
of this,” said junior Emma O’Hara, in amazement, about the hundreds of
gifts that surrounded her as she waited in the checkout line.
Today, 26 students stayed after school and wrapped 300 gifts using
3,250 square ft. of wrapping paper Though the students will not be able
to witness those happy faces in person as they open their presents, the
fund-raising activity was certainly rewarding experience for all
concerned. |
Alicia Hartsack puts the final touches on this joy-inducing toy, which will put a smile on the face of a deserving child Christmas day.(photo by Sara Sugrue)
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