High School Students Deliver Gifts to Lacey Families in Need

Members of the Forked River Rotary Club and Interact served as Santa’s elves as they delivered Christmas gifts to Lacey families in need.

“We do what we can,” Interact Advisor Bunny McGauley said. “These are bad times.”

The clubs went shopping at Walmart on Friday and purchased approximately $20,000 in gifts for 200 families, 500 children.

While 65 Interact students participated in the shopping, 12 joined with Rotarians to distribute the gifts on Monday, Dec. 20.

“We try to cover the whole family. Not only toys,” Rotarian Tony Angona said.

The Rotary Club consults the school district and receives a list of families, Angona said. The families then submit a Christmas list.

The program also covers basic needs such as clothing, coats, boots and diapers.

“The shopping was hectic but awesome,” student Amanda Biele said.

Each student was given an age and gender of a child, $40 and shopped, she said.

For distribution there were two students to a Rotarian.

“It was sad and humbling,” Biele said.

Gina Bibbo also said the experience was humbling. “Some of these houses barely have doors,” she said.

The program began in the mid-80s with a small Rotary group, Angona said. The need has grown so much that they had to call on the Interact Club for assistance.

“We work with the Rotarians to see the program through,” McGauley said. “It’s a heartfelt thing.”

McGauley has been involved in the program for 10 years and said each family reacts differently. Some, along with the students, had tears in their eyes, she said.

In some instances, the students had to hide the gifts on the side house because the children thought Santa was coming.

“They said, ‘This is what Christmas is all about,’ “ McGauley said. “They do make a difference doing this.”