Dear family and friends,
Thank you all for your generous support of our annual “Takeout for Toys” event. We hope that you enjoyed your rib plates and the time spent in our home connecting to each other – it is always a joy to join together for a good cause. This year was especially meaningful to us because of the tragedy in Connecticut. Our children should be living in joyful anticipation during the holidays, and thanks to all of you, we will make a difference this year for many of our local families in need.
We delivered a full truckload of toys to the Salvation Army on Saturday morning; Lieutenant Josh Morse and his family were most appreciative of the donations of toys and cash (some of our guests left cash and checks). They commented on the quality (and quantity) of our collective donation – thankfully, many of our toys were appropriate for older children who are often not supported as well as their younger counterparts. The money will help fill other needs of the 78 families who were not selected from the angel trees spread throughout the community. Josh registered the cash donation to a newly assigned “Takeout for Toys” kettle that we hope to have available at our party next year for those folks who want to participate but whose schedules are too hectic for them to shop.
Every year, we discover things we can do better and ways we can make our event more effective. We hope you will want to participate again in 2013!
Special thanks to Barb Meidl and Kim Barnett for their help in the food assembly line (and to Doug for tending the chimnia outside), to our son Sandy and daughter-in-law Kyndall for helping us deliver the toys, and to all of you for your generosity, friendship, and commitment of time to making this year our most successful ever! Jack and I wish you the most blessed of Christmases and happiness in the New Year.
Photos of the toys contributed to the Salvation Army are attached. We really did feel like Mr. and Mrs. Claus driving across town on Saturday morning.
Thank you again!
Jeanie and Jack
