10/14/2009 10:45:00 AM Shriners look to help clothe local kids in need
A teen shopper helps a little girl pick out clothing in this past year's Shriners Clothe-a-Child event.
File Photo/Sue Tone
When times are tough, it's harder to raise money, but members of a local organization are still determined to help local children.
The Bradshaw Mountain Shrine Club has helped outfit children for school through its Clothe-a-Child program since 1981, said Chairman Chuck Leon.
Leon said the program originally began with a Shrine Club member in Phoenix who stood outside the center in 1954 with a hat and asked for donations. That year, he clothed six children with the proceeds. This year, the club will clothe 114 children, ages 5-10 - 14 from Mayer Elementary School and the remainder from schools in the Humboldt Unified School District.
The Bradshaw club asks for recommendations from school nurses in the Mayer and Humboldt Unified school districts for children who need basic clothing items such as jackets, underwear, and boots.
"We found many kids were lacking proper clothing for school, especially in the winter, so that's what we focused on," Leon said.
This year, the club will help to clothe 14 children from Mayer Elementary School. The kids will meet at Lake Valley School in Prescott Valley on Dec. 6 at 6 a.m., and ride a bus to the Wal Mart store, where "shoppers," often local teens from Embry Riddle ROTC, or the Shrine's Rainbow Girls or Job's Daughters groups, will help the kids select $100 worth of items they need.
"The teens are good shoppers, and they have a ball doing that," Leon said.
After they have shopped, the club will treat the children to a visit with Santa and a goodie bag filled with a toy, fruit and candy.
Leon said he is looking for donations, no matter how small, to raise the needed money to clothe the kids who need items to keep them warm and comfortable through the winter.
To help the Shriners clothe a local child this winter, mail a check to Bradshaw Mountain Shrine Club, P.O. Box 25735, Prescott Valley, AZ 86312. For more information call co-chairs Chuck Leon at 928-632-9320 or Paul Lutes at 928-772-2654.
