By: Lydia Crawley
The Tucker County Commission donated $2,000 on October 22nd to the Fraternal Order of Police to help fund the Order’s annual Children’s Christmas Party. The donation came as part of the Commission’s regular October 22nd meeting in Parsons. Brian Kilgore represented the Fraternal Order of Police at the meeting.
“This Christmas Party has expanded tremendously over the past, this might be the fourth year, that I’ve taken it over,” Kilgore said.
According to Kilgore the number of attendees has doubled each year the organization has held the event.
“We had a hundred and some kids the first year, two hundred and some the following, 320 attended last year. Specifically from Tucker County, because we cover eight counties, specifically from Tucker County, there were 50 children from Tucker County that attended.”
The event is held at the Phil Gainer Community Center in Elkins, which is donated by the City of Elkins, Kilgore said. The two and a half hour event includes bounce houses, refreshments, crafts, the Grinch, pictures with Santa and his elves, but of course most of all, there’s the presents.
“Last year we spent between $130 to $150 a kid, this year we will have to go to $150 just with inflation just to get there,” Kilgore said.
The families of each child is contacted to make sure the gifts are personalized specifically to them. The organization shops from the Saturday after Black Friday until just before the party, which this year is on the 13th. Kilgore said it took seven and a half hours to check out all the gifts last year.
“So we have a very small window,” Kilgore said. “We go in, we shop for all the children, we wrap it and then have it at the Phil Gainer Center.”
Kilgore said he anticipates the number of Tucker County children to remain around the same as last year. Children are referred mainly from local school counselors, Kilgore said. Prior attendees, until the age of 18, are always invited back, according to Kilgore. If the Tucker County number remains the same, it is anticipated that around 50 children from the area will attend the organization’s event this year.
In total, the organization spent $52,000 last year between the children and the organizations that the Fraternal Order of Police sponsored. Last year, Kilgore said, included with the usual expenditures, the organization had two families referred to them whose homes had burned down, one in November and one in the month of December. The order bought everyone clothes, toys and everything that they needed to get started rebuilding their lives.
Businesses also donate to the children, as well. There are gifts that are raffled off as door prizes, train tickets and trinkets for the children, as well.
Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau said that he would be “more than willing to help you.” Rosenau made a motion to donate $2,000 towards Tucker County Children at the Fraternal Order of Police’s annual Children’s Christmas Party. The measure was unanimously approved by both Commissioner Knotts and Commissioner Davis.
