Huntington Kiwanis host shopping tour, capture essence of holiday season

On Saturday, December 14th, the Huntington Kiwanis held their annual Shopping Tour at Sears in East Northport. Now in its 43rd year, the annual project takes fifty of some of Huntington's neediest children, ages 5-8, shopping for the holidays. The children are teamed up with Key Club Members from four local Key Clubs - Huntington High School, Harborfields High School, and Half Hollow Hills High Schools East and West. This year, more than 150 Key Clubbers volunteered their time to help guide the children through the store as they made their selections.

The children are brought to Sears by school bus, where the Key Club and Kiwanis volunteers meet them. Each child arrives with their shopping list, complete with sizes, then throughout the tour the Key Club members guide the children around the store, helping them to select items that fit well and are the best bargain they can get with their $150 gift card.

The Shopping Tour offers each child the opportunity to be outfitted with shoes, boots, several school outfits, pajamas, underwear and socks, and a nice warm coat. According to Kiwanian Barbara Macchiaroli, each year even after all of the winter necessities have been purchased, they always find a little left for a small toy. Macchiaroli also noted that at times Key Club members even dig into their own pockets if there's not quite enough left on the gift card to purchase a small toy.

After the two hours of shopping came to a close, the children, Key Clubbers and Kiwanis volunteers set off for Candlewood Middle School for the second part of the project. Once on site, the Key Club members set about wrapping all of the children's' gifts, while the youngsters have lunch with Santa. The wrapped gifts were then packed into large plastic bags labeled with the child's name, which the Town of Huntington then picks up to have available for the parents when they pick up their children after the Shopping Tour.

Children are selected for the program by the Town of Huntington Department of Minority Affairs. The Kiwanis feel that the department has a good understanding of the most at-risk children who would likely not have much for the Holidays. Each year, the project is organized and run by Kiwanian Jerry Asher, who brought the project to Kiwanis from the Jaycees 43 years ago when that group disbanded.

In all, the project costs over $8,500; Asher has been able to get a great deal of the project's funding from donations through local churches and corporations. In addition, one Kiwanian donates enough money each year to ensure that every child is provided with a coat. The Kiwanis intend on continuing their Shopping Tour for years to come, helping the less fortunate in our community enjoy their holiday just a bit more.

During the holiday season, and throughout the year, we must not lose sight of those who are less fortunate. Have a happy and safe holiday.