NEWBERRY — One of the favorite traditions of members of the Rotary Club of Newberry is the Rotary Children’s Christmas Party, this annual tradition was held last Friday.
This year, the Rotary Club of Newberry hosted the party for the children of Thornwell Children’s Home, The Boy’s Farm and Bright Beginnings. There were about 19 children in attendance, all of whom went home with a gift.
“To set the scene of the Christmas spirit, the Newberry Elementary School Chorus — under the direction of Brooke Tolbert — presented a selection of Christmas songs,” said Willie Morris, who leads the Christmas party committee.
Each of the 19 children were paired with a “buddy,” which is a Rotarian who spends time with them during the party.
“As usual it was a great way to start my Christmas season. My 12-year-old buddy was a perfect gentleman, as were the other young men at our table,” said Rotarian Jimmie Coggins.
“It’s great that Rotarians like myself can give a little time to give these kids a nice afternoon away from their situations. Of course we don’t ask anything about the children’s life or why they are with an organization like Thornwell or Boy’s Farm, but at our table the kids were not shy about some of the things they have been going through. They know things about the court systems and custody requirements than I would ever want to know. I hope the time they got to spend with us Friday afternoon gave their minds a bit of a rest,” said Rotarian Andy Husk.
Santa Claus also made an appearance at the Christmas party, coming out right after the song, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.”
“Everyone was in a jolly mood when Santa came to visit. After presenting a gift to each child, he talked with the children that wanted to talk to him,” Morris said.
The children were also treated to hot dogs, snacks and cookies.
“Much activity was seen at Central United Methodist Church as the children played with their new toys. The Rotarians were assigned a child to help make their time at the party very special,” Morris said. “One of the highlights of the Christmas season for Newberry Rotary is to have this special party for the children.”
This year marked the 59th year for the Rotary Children’s Christmas Party, after it started in 1960.
“The Rotary Christmas Party Committee would like to thank all the Rotarians that were buddies at the party for a child, for making cookies, Central United Methodist Church for letting us use their building, to the Newberry Elementary School Chorus, and the Newberry Police Department for escorting the children to the church,” Morris said. “Of course, we cannot forget to thank Santa Claus for making a visit from the North Pole. It takes many people to make this party extraordinary for the children at Thornwell Children’s Home, Boy’s Farm and Bright Beginnings.”
