by Abbie Cunningham, FHS senior and Eagle Beat Editor in Chief
Every child deserves to be delighted on Christmas morning.
Newspaper and yearbook classes donated 14 toys to Blue Santa at their annual Christmas party on December 9. This is the 13th year Eagle Publications has donated toys. Blue Santa will continue to accept donations at designated locations in Fairfield through Saturday, December 21.
“I hope students learn that the joy of giving surpasses the joy of receiving,” yearbook and newspaper sponsor Kathie Maciel said. “That’s what this season is for.”
The sophomore journalism class also participated in the Blue Santa charity drive. They added eight toys to the total, making the final donation 22 toys. A pledge is a promise to pay a certain amount of money over time. What would be too much money to give in one lump sum becomes manageable when broken down into payments. In addition, regular giving, even in small amounts, increases the bond between a donor and the organization. Donors who pledge their gifts tend to contribute two to three times as much as donors who make one cash payment, and stay loyal to an organization for longer. Because ease-of-use and a short learning curve are so important to our users, pledge management software is integrated throughout FundRaiser. If you are already familiar with the FundRaiser interface, pledge management will be a snap to learn. If you’re new to FundRaiser we’ll get you up to speed fast with our highly acclaimed training.
“Students get really excited for this party,” Maciel said. “It’s great to see the kids be so happy to give.”
Maciel got the idea from her job at Wortham High School. The teachers participated in an event similar to this, donating to Toys for Tots. Maciel switched to Blue Santa to keep the gifts local.
“The best part about this party every year is the clever stories everyone ties to the toys,” Maciel said. “This party really helps bring everyone together in the spirit of giving.”
For the party, students draw other classmates names like the Secret Santa game. Then, students buy a toy which describes their person instead of a present they keep. All of the toys are then donated. Sometimes students buy an extra present for the receiver to keep.
“I like coming up with the story behind my toy,” senior Emi Bonner said. “It’s always a fun way to get to know more about a person.”
People can donate toys locally to Blue Santa at the following locations in Fairfield: Wells Fargo, Freestone County Credit Union, Randall’s Barber Shop, Brookshire Brothers, Capps True Value, and Farmers State Bank.
“Seeing the community and other newspaper and yearbook people involved in such a great charity is really heart- warming,” senior Merrianne Markham said. “I’m so excited that my simple toy can really brighten a child’s Christmas.”
Pictured at top: NEWSPAPER AND YEARBOOK STAFF with their toys for Blue Santa: juniors Isabel Growden, Lauren Cochran, Meredith Awalt, Hailey Lane, seniors Braden Bossier, Margie Savage, Emi Bonner, Nereyda Espinoza, Abbie Cunningham, Erin Rachel, Merrianne Markham, Chloe Bonner, Naydelin Espinoza, Cate Scott, and Trista Thornbrough.
