Decisions, decisions await kids at party
12/16/2007
Messenger-Inquirer
Nearly 1,200 children are expected to flood the Sportscenter on Saturday morning, ready for a day of Christmas revelry.
And Santa Claus will come a couple of days early for the children attending the annual Goodfellows Christmas party.
The Goodfellows Club orders the children's toys from K&I Toys, said Carla Vied, chairwoman of the Christmas party committee.
The club provides a selection of 12 gifts for the children to choose from: four that boys might like, four that girls might enjoy and four that would appeal to both genders. The children also get to select an age-appropriate book.
Each child chooses one toy, Vied said.
"They'll get to pick," she said. "If they walk down a line and decide, 'I really wish I'd gotten that instead,' they can swap. They can change their mind."
This is Vied's first year as party chairwoman, but she has worked the toy lines in the past.
"It was always so much fun to listen to them talk, say, 'Oh, look at that,' then walk up and just pick," she said. "We try to pick things we think the kids will really like. Sometimes they have a hard time making that decision."
The whole party costs between $12,000 and $15,000, which includes the toy costs, Goodfellows Club treasurer Barry Carden said.
Goodfellows tries to order enough toys that there aren't any left. If there are extras, they'll save the toys for next year, Vied said.
Today's Roll Call
Previously reported: $67,306.45
In memory of the Moore family and the Whitledge family by Don and Carol Moore: $1,000
In honor of Goodfellows by Phil and Mary Beth Hurley: $500
In memory of Mary Jean Dewey by Phil and Mary Beth Hurley: $500
In loving memory of our great-grandmother, Erika E. Wilimzig, and her work as adoption facilitator to find good "forever homes" for many orphaned children by Nick and Mia Gordon: $300
In loving memory of my husband, Harry Gatton Jr., by Jeanne Gatton: $100
In honor of Cleo Miller and in memory of Joe Miller, Frank and Wilhelmina Lebold and Matt Hamilton: $100
In memory of our granddaughter, Caroline Chapeze Oller, by Bev and Ed Wathen: $100
In honor of Anita, Elaine, Melissa, Christy, Harley and Mighty Joe: $60
In loving memory of Bob Stewart by wife Marie and family: $50
In loving memory of Bob Berry by wife Margaret and family: $50
In loving memory of Martha Mattingly by her family: $50
In honor of my dear friends, Ruth (W.L.) Harrison, Gwen Shelton and Laurie Thacker: $30
In memory of Jerry Jones by James Estes.: $25
In memory of Marillyn Johnston: $17.65
In memory of Jerry Jones by Juanita Pooser: $15
Total as of Dec. 16: $70,204.10
