The giving season is here once again, and the La Porte community couldn’t have found a better way to kick it off than by helping the children who need it most. On Wednesday, November 29, La Porte community members prepared for the 53rd annual Deserving Children Shopping Tour set to take place on December 4 and 5. Laughs were shared, memories were made, and over 600 stockings were stuffed with all kinds of goodies and essentials to keep the children happy and healthy this winter.
“Our community is in need now more than ever, so it’s important to make sure we are giving every child in the community a good Christmas and a chance to experience something fun,” said Kim Kemiel, co-chair of the Deserving Children Shopping Tour Committee.
For years, the Deserving Children Shopping Tour, hosted by the La Porte County Association of Realtors (LPCAR), has changed the lives of La Porte County children in need. The event gives children the opportunity to not only receive some essential winter supplies but also enjoy a hot meal and go shopping to pick out some things for themselves with a $150 budget at either Walmart or Meijer.
“My dad was a part of this way back when it first started. Back then we could only take 20 to 30 kids shopping—now we’re taking over 600. It’s incredible,” said Kemiel.
What makes this event so unique is that it is made completely possible by the generosity and commitment of the La Porte community. Businesses such as CompressAir donate countless goods each year to support the cause while the LPCAR holds several fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for the children’s shopping budget.
Looking around at the massive boxes filled with everything from hand sanitizer to toothbrushes lined the walls as Kemiel and her fellow co-chairs prepared for the upcoming event, it was clear that the La Porte community never fails to unite for the good of its children.
“The community is really what makes this possible. Between the auction and the Roof Sit and donations and people giving their time to take the kids shopping, everyone comes together. It’s a great feeling knowing that our community will come together when kids and people are in need,” said Kemiel.
Along with all the community support, what makes the Deserving Children Shopping Tour doubly meaningful is the volunteers. Packing 600 stockings full of goodies is no easy feat. Luckily, several young dancers from the Dance Foundation of LaPorte gave their time to make sure each child would have a stocking. The girls laughed and played with one another as they filled each stocking; some of them even turned the task into a game.
It goes without saying that this year’s Deserving Children Shopping Tour is going to be incredibly impactful. The shopping tour will be broken up into two nights. The first night will take place on December 5 at the Civic Auditorium in La Porte, while the second night will take place on December 6 at the Orak Shrine Center in Michigan City. The Deserving Children Shopping Tour Committee can’t wait to see all the children’s happy faces.
“I love seeing how excited the kids get. I’ve been a part of this for so many years now and I’ve enjoyed taking the kids shopping. They get so excited to have a night out and get a few simple things like a new coat and a pair of shoes. Seeing how happy they are is what this is all about,” said Kemiel.
Not enough thanks can be given to all of this year’s volunteers and donors including McDonald's, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, JJs Pizza, the 501st Legion and Northern Darkness Garrison, Janis Martinsen, Maple City Dentistry, Michigan City Pediatrics, Albanese Candy Factory, CompressAir, PetSmart, and Dr. Randy Banic.
The Deserving Children Shopping Tour has already served hundreds of children throughout the community, but the hope is that more people will continue to support the cause in the future.
“I hope people continue to donate when they can, but our biggest area of need is finding people to take these kids shopping. This is supposed to be a night out for the kids that gives them a chance to have fun and pick out their own things, so the chaperones are very important,” said Kemiel.
To learn more about LPCAR and how it supports the community’s youth, visit www.laportecountyrealtors.com. For anyone interested in signing up to take kids shopping or to shop for kids who can’t go next year, please email laportedcst21@gmail.com.
To learn more about CompressAir and the ways it gives back to its community, visit www.compressair.net.