Within the group gathered around the tall Christmas tree last night, it was hard to tell who felt more blessed-the Shriners, or the foster children they treated to a bounty of gifts.

On one hand, there were the 17 foster children sorting through piles of presents and candy.

On the other hand, there were around 30 Shriners and their families, glowing from goodwill.

“Y'all just don't know what this means,“ said Becky Davis, a foster parent of five, to the Shriners, who sponsored the party and provided a Santa, the building and food.

But many of the Shriners, who are heavily involved year-round in fundraising for various children's causes, had a good idea of the impact.

“Honey, this is what we live for,“ said Vivian Glymph, one of the Ladies of the Shriners, wife of Shrine member Gregg Glymph.

“It's just about seeing the joy and smiles on these children's faces,“ Glymph said.

The Christmas party was the result of a chance meeting between one group in need and another group bursting at the seams with plenty.

Shrine member Craig Morris knew the Opera House sponsored a gift

drive for the Boys Farm children's home, and that the fire department was collecting presents for low-income families.

But Morris had foster children in mind.

“Nobody thinks about the foster kids,“ said Morris.

Morris made that statement before he met Davis and Amy Riser, foster moms who both hold positions on Newberry's newly organized Foster Parent Association.

When Riser had the idea to have a Christmas party this year, she and Davis sought community donations for gifts.

Then Morris heard about the party idea and connected the foster group to a rich stash of new unclaimed gifts just waiting for recipients.

“All the presents we could have ever asked for were donated,” said Davis.

This summer, Dreher Island hosted the Skeeter Bass Boat Tournament that required a new Christmas gift for the entry fee.

The toys were intended for the Shriners' Hospital, but the hospital turned them away as it already had enough.

So Morris decided to keep the gifts in the county for foster children.

“That's the way it actually came about,“ said Morris.

The two pickup-truck loads full of toys were sorted through by foster parents and others who matched gifts with children's ages and personalities.

Andrew Bowie, 11, the son of a Shriner, picked out toys that boys his age would like. He says he mainly picked out cars.

“It feels good because you're helping others who don't get much for Christmas,“ said Bowie.

Later that night, a pre-teen boy who had dark hair like Bowie, tightly held the bright, red Jump Hopper car he received for a gift.

“I get hydraulics!“ he exclaimed.

Perhaps the car was an apt match by Bowie, but if not, Bowie still played a key role in the party by being a part of the unlikely mix.

The event brought a variety of foster and non-foster families together with natural birth and adopted children, which was a goal of the Department of Social Services that helps place children in foster care. Agency officials hoped the mixture at the event would prompt people to think of adoption.

“Nothing but good can come from something like this,“ said Interim DSS Director Larry Cannon.

With 37 Newberry County children in foster care, Cannon said the party brought people together to help get the word out about Newberry's foster parent need.

He is grateful for the four new families who have recently signed up to foster children, but hopes for even more homes so the many Newberry children placed in other counties can soon return home.

“This is a first in this county that I'm aware of with an organization like the Shriners sponsoring an event such as this for foster kids,“ said Cannon. “This is what we need.”

As a line revolved around the three tables spread with finger food, foster families and Shriners' families fixed plates for foster children.

Some Shriners also carried around children who looked nothing like them, cuddling and feeding them at their table.

“I told my husband he said I couldn't have any more cats,” said Tina Dutarat, a mother of two and wife of a Shriner. “He didn't say I couldn't have any more kids.”

During the gift give out, Dutarat held a small child in her lap, who, in turn, held a baby bottle to the pursed lips of her brand new baby doll.

Dutarat said she would like to one day adopt a child.

Tina Knight, a woman whose husband is also a Shriner, was hesitant to say if the event made her want to adopt.

“Well, I don't know,“ said Knight.

Knight and her Shriner husband, who held a foster child for much of the evening, have three children together, including a newborn.

Knight says she grew up going to similar goodwill events, and as a child continually tried to get her parents to adopt to no avail.

She says she will consider fostering and adoption after her own children are grown.

Riser, who stood by the tree handing out the labeled gifts, soon realized she needed help with the work and recruited Shriners.

“Holy moley,“ said Morris seeing all the gifts.

“I don't know where to start,“ said another Shriner.

“Read the name and walk around,“ advised one.

As gifts were passed out, Riser told the kids to move out on the floor to have room for their presents. Each foster child received around a dozen gifts, said Davis.

“Guys, you see how this is going?“ Riser asked. “You're going to have a bunch so you may want to spread out some.“

While Shriners passed out the remaining gifts under the tree, Shriner Carl Waller began collecting the gifts for a little girl named Lexi.

He carried her stack to her in one heaping handful.

“Are you Lexi?“ he asked.

“Yes,“ said the girl shyly, already standing beside a stack of gifts that belonged to her and her two foster siblings.

“You ready for something?“ he asked.

“Yes,“ Lexi said, reaching out her hands for the Barbie Waller handed her.

“You ready for something else?” Waller asked.

“Yes,” said Lexi, receiving another doll, then some magnets, then another doll and then a game from Waller's hand.

“And something else?” he asked again, each time waiting for her to return from her stack empty-handed for another gift.

“Yes,” Lexi said, receiving one final Barbie.

Then as Lexi turned from Waller and faced her stack, with big eyes she exclaimed, “Oh boy!”

“You can't put the feelings into words,” said Waller, whose been a Shriner for nine months. “Just to be able to help these families with these kids, it's an awesome feeling. You can't put a value on it.”