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Community Christmas envy of others Community Christmas, which started more than 30 years ago as a humble toy drive, has blossomed into a nearly $40,000 effort that’s the envy of philanthropic organizations in other counties.
Santa himself would be hard pressed to pull off the logistical enterprise that about two dozen volunteers have turned into a heart-warming offering to the community’s less fortunate.
Last Friday morning, the Carson B. Davidson National Guard Armory was perfectly scattered with thousands of new toys and gifts. It was distribution day for Community Christmas, the time when parents, grandparents and other family members line up to fulfill their appointment to pick up gift bags. Those bags are literally filled to the brim with wish list items from bicycles and skateboards to Barbies and blankets.
“Crittenden County is such a wonderful place. When you need them most you can always count on the people of this community to come through,” said Mona Manley, one of the tireless volunteers and a key ramrod of the effort.
Frances Lynch, a 73-year-old grandmother, is raising two of her grandsons, ages four and five. For her, Community Christmas is a Godsend.
“People have really been good me. My boys are of the age that they really enjoy Christmas and look forward to it,” Lynch said.
A monthly Social Security check and a couple of hundred dollars in child support payments aren’t enough to keep the growing boys fed and to provide a Christmas like they expect. That’s why Lynch started turning to Community Christmas two years ago for help. Local outreach workers from the school told her about the program and she signed up in October like 162 other families.
Lynch buys things throughout the year, when there’s enough money left over from her fixed income each month. She buys mostly clothes and keeps them hidden until Christmas. She said toys and other items provided through Community Christmas will be cached away until Christmas Eve when Santa will leave them under the tree for the boys to find the next morning.
“I wake them up about five o’clock in the morning and tell them Santa’s been here, and they get up rubbing their eyes,” she said. “I don’t know what I would do without this (help). One year, I borrowed money for Christmas and paid it back little by little every month. People have really helped me and I appreciate it very, very much.”
Mandy Dodson, a volunteer at the distribution event last week, helped Lynch carry out the items her grandchildren had asked for on their Angel tree lists. When Dodson came back inside, she was beaming.
“That is the sweetest woman and she kept telling me how grateful she was for what we’re doing. She said, ‘Thank God we have this.’”
Community Christmas doesn’t fall into place as easily as Santa’s annual delivery night goes. There are plenty of details and it starts two months ahead of the holiday. Fortunately, there are some wonderful elves who help put the plan together, said Mickey Myers, one of the early volunteers who started with Community Christmas 25 years ago when it was the WMJL Radiothon.
“The most we ever raised on the radio was $9,800,” said Myers.
This year, the program took in more than $11,000 in cash, the majority of it deposited into the group’s bank account on the final days of fundraising. Additionally, givers sponsored 276 children to the tune of about $100 apiece. There were also 255 adults who received food or food vouchers.
Margaret Gilland, one of the Community Christmas volunteers, put a letter to the editor in The Press a couple of weeks ago asking for contributions. The next day, a local business professional called her and offered to pick up the tab for about 20 children.
“He gave me $2,000 and I spent four days doing the shopping to find what all those children had on their lists,” said Gilland. “I don’t think he’d want me to give his name, but how wonderful is it what he did?”
The altruistic stories of giving were numerous and uplifting. Among the most notable was the third-grade class at Crittenden Elementary. Students gave up their opportunity to exchange gifts with one another for a chance to take part in Community Christmas. Trudy Bramblett, guidance counselor, said students pitched in $5 apiece, then held fundraisers to net $1,200. Third-grade teachers joined in by selling soup and sandwich lunches at the school to raise funds. Once they had enough money, the entire group went shopping for Community Christmas. Not only did the students learn about helping others, they also got some curriculum wedged into the lesson, including math and budgeting.
“While they were in Walmart shopping, a woman asked what they were all doing,” said Bramblett. “Serena Dickerson, one of the parent volunteers, told her about the project and the woman gave her $20.”
Giving was like that this year, said organizers. While charitable fundraising is down about 10 percent nationwide, according to one report, holiday donations were strong in Marion. Every time it looked like there might be a stumbling block, the community came to the rescue. Churches, businesses and individuals all played a starring role, said Manley.
The organized fundraising effort is so well oiled that others are envious. A contingent from Webster County was at the armory Friday watching and gleaning ideas from the Marion volunteers. They want to do something similar in their community.
Myers pointed out that per capita, Crittenden County has one of the highest giving rates during the holiday season. Community Christmas has matured and flowered into what Myers and others say is the true spirit of the Christmas season.
Local woman involved in robbery chase Local woman involved in robbery, chase from McCracken truck stop
A Paducah man and a Salem women are in the McCracken County Jail and face charges from a robbery early Sunday morning and a chase that ended not far from the Crittenden County line.
The suspects are Anthony R. Smith, 29, and Amber L. Davis (alias: Amber Smith), 31, formerly of Marion.
State Police received a call that the Southern Pride Truck Stop, off Interstate-24 in Reidland, had been robbed. Troopers and Calvert City police and Livingston County deputies got behind the suspects’ Chevrolet Camaro on I-24. Smith was behind the wheel, according to a press release issued by Kentucky State Police.
The chase left I-24 and turned onto U.S. 641 through Eddyville and toward Fredonia. When the suspects reached the intersection of Ky. 1943, Smith lost control of the car and ran off the road and was stuck in the mud.
Smith fled on foot and Davis was arrested without resisting.
Police brought in a K-9 unit to help search for Smith, who was found about 200 yards away in a wooded area. Police found Smith lying on the ground and ordered him to surrender and raise his hands. Smith said he had a gun and a bomb that he would explode, according to the news release. After a struggle and being Tased, Smith was taken into custody. Officers found a 9 mm pistol believed to have been used in the robbery. Police found no bombs or explosives on Smith.
Smith is charged with first degree robbery, 14 traffic offenses, including a fourth offense DUI on a suspended license, two counts of fleeing or evading police, 12 counts of wanton endangerment, three counts of terroristic threatening, assault related to a minor injury of Davis, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and carrying a concealed deadly weapon.
Davis was charged with hindering apprehension and prosecution.
2 local grads performing at Carnegie Two Crittenden Countians will be joining the Murray State University Concert Choir next month when it travels to New York City to perform Lauridsen's “Lux Aeterna” in Carnegie Hall under the baton of Dr. Bradley Almquist.
Emily Merrick and Amanda Wicker, both 2007 graduates of Crittenden County High School and students at Murray State, will be performing with the choir.
The concert is on Jan. 18 at the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage of Carnegie Hall.