Pizza, Santa and gift cards were the order of the day for dozens of local youngsters recently, as the Oakdale Lions Club hosted its annual Children’s Christmas Shopping Tour.
While it used to be an actual shopping trip, where youngsters were paired with volunteer chaperone shoppers and got to pick out some items, the past few years have seen the delivery of holiday cheer conducted a little bit differently.
Now, the tour is a one-stop style event, with families taking part in the program attending a special pizza party hosted at the Gene Bianchi Community Center in Oakdale. Pizza and beverages are served, along with cookies, and the children attending all receive a gift card to Kohl’s. They can use it for any needed or wanted items.
Lions Club members said they provided some 200 gift cards to youngsters at the event and the club raises money throughout the year for the holiday program.
Mountain Mike’s, Round Table and Domino’s Pizza helped out with the dinner, providing many pizzas at reduced prices and some by Mountain Mike’s were sent over at no cost.
Also getting in on the act to help round out the dinner was Railtown 1897, donating several dozen Polar Express cookies.
While the kids selected to receive the gift cards enjoyed the pizza party with their families, the special guest of honor also arrived at the Community Center, as Santa Claus stopped in for a visit. He posed for photos with the kids and heard their holiday wishes and also provided each one with a small gift.
Event chair, Lions Club member Greg Rivera, has indicated the club hopes to get back to the kids and chaperones shopping trip in the future, as that was something both the participants and the volunteer shoppers looked forward to during the holidays.
The Oakdale Lions Club raises money for its Children’s Christmas Shopping Tour throughout the year. Those that want to contribute to the effort can send checks, payable to Oakdale Lions Club, at P.O. Box 550, Oakdale, CA 95361 (memo CCST).
Donations for this year’s program were used to purchase $125 Kohl’s gift cards for each child selected.
Donations are tax deductible; the Oakdale Lions Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.
