On Wednesday, December 4, day two of the 54th annual Deserving Children’s Shopping Tour was held at the Orak Shrine in Michigan City. This event, which was funded by the Deserving Children’s Roof Sit fundraiser and the La Porte County Association of Realtors (LPCAR), saw 600 underprivileged Michigan City elementary school students taken on Christmas shopping trips by volunteers. Another 600 students from La Porte were taken shopping by volunteers the previous day.
Individuals from throughout the community, including teachers, police officers, realtors, and bankers, volunteered to be chaperones for the event. Supplied with $150 vouchers, the kids were taken to Walmart and Meijer by their chaperones to shop for winter clothes, toys, and more. Students from schools in Michigan City, Wanatah, La Porte, the South Central School System, La Crosse, and Rolling Prairie were selected by their teachers to participate in the Shopping Tour.
Robin Umphrey, a realtor with RE/MAX County Wide 1st in La Porte and chair of the Deserving Children Shopping Tour, has been involved with the Deserving Children Charity in a variety of capacities for the last 22 years. She resonates with this event on a deeply personal level.
“My mom raised six kids by herself, so we grew up poor,” Umphrey said. “We didn't have money, but we had a lot of time and energy, so all we did was volunteer when we were kids. When I became a realtor years later, I learned about this charity and I thought it was such a great cause. Christmas is about giving, not receiving. Some parents have a tougher time making sure that their kids have everything they need, so we’re here to help give them some support. Seeing the kids smile when they see Santa fills my heart. We are always looking for people in the community who are willing to sponsor a student, volunteer as chaperones, or donate. Every penny we raise goes to the kids in our community.”
PetSmart donated Aurora-brand cat and dog stuffed animals for the kids to enjoy. As is customary, PetSmart donates a new selection of animals to the Shopping Tour each year. This year’s featured stuffed animals were cows, pigs, and reindeer. A wide selection of books purchased with donated funds were made available for the kids to choose from. Local dentistries also provided the young attendees with donated toothbrushes and toothpaste. The La Porte Dance Foundation helped stuff over 600 stockings with combs, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, hats, and gloves. The kids carried off their stockings and other gifts in zippered bags that were donated by CompressAir.
This is the first year that Madelyn Parry, a junior at Michigan City High School, has volunteered at the Deserving Children Shopping Tour. She views the Shopping Tour as an excellent opportunity to spread holiday goodwill.
“The teacher who oversees our honor society sent us a link about this event,” Parry said. “I had heard that my mom participated in it about 10 years ago, so I talked with her about it and she encouraged me to come out and volunteer. I believe that all of the kids in Michigan City should experience a happy Christmas and receive gifts they love. The kids trust chaperones and are forming connections with them, so I think this experience will be a happy one for them.”
The young attendees posed for photos with an Imperial Snowtrooper and an Imperial Shock Trooper from “Star Wars.” They were also able to take photos with Santa and tell him their Christmas wishes. After talking with each child, Santa sent them off with candy donated by the Albanese Candy Factory. Before setting out on their shopping spree, the kids enjoyed pizza donated by J&J’s Pizza Shack and Papa Johns, as well as burgers, lemonade, and chips donated by McDonald's.
Emma Abraham, a senior at Michigan City High School, is also a first-time Deserving Children Shopping Tour volunteer and is very passionate about supporting her community through her volunteer work.
“The children of our community deserve all the best,” Abraham said. “I hope the others who are volunteering here tonight feel happy and fulfilled because we are all playing a part in helping the kids and spreading Christmas joy. I love volunteering. I don’t do it for the service hours, it just makes me so happy. Knowing that I can do something like this for other people makes me feel really good.”
Linda McMurray Colborn, one of the volunteer chaperones, has been participating in the Deserving Children Shopping Tour alongside her husband Phillip Colborn for the past 10 years. She is pleased to return as a chaperone this year.
“This event is just phenomenal,” McMurray Colborn said. “Talking about it almost brings tears to my eyes. This is something I can do to bring some joy to these kids and I love being able to give back. This time of year, money is particularly tight for people, but their kids need winter clothes, boots, gloves, and hats. They’re doing the best they can with what they have. I always get everything on the kids’ list, but we always end up buying them more things. I can’t help it! We always have the nicest and most respectful kids, which is great to see. This event is about spreading joy and happiness. The world needs a lot more of that nowadays.”
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