Many volunteers shopped for gifts for the Holiday Project.
Many volunteers shopped for gifts for the Holiday Project. Photo: Monica Streit
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Holiday Project's record donation total spreads cheer

Even Santa Claus would be amazed by the list of gifts collected this year by Miami University’s Holiday Project.

The annual Holiday Project is spearheaded by Miami’s Classified Personnel Advisory Committee and the Unclassified Personnel Advisory Committee. It accepts donations for children who are under court supervision, many due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.

Money raised goes toward toys, clothes and other items that volunteers purchase according to the children’s wish lists. More than 80 shoppers spent $15,212 on Saturday in the Meijer store.

This year’s donations included:

Donations of cash and gift cards:

  • Meijer-Hamilton West Store donation of $5,000 in gift cards.
  • Cash/check donations are still being added up, but there was $8,530 as of Friday. The total that day was up to $22,530.
  • More money came in while volunteers were shopping, and on Friday after they set up the debit cards.

Three grants:

  • Butler Rural Community Connection grant for $2,000.
  • Hamilton Community Foundation grant for $2,000.
  • Henny Penny Employee Foundation grant for $5,000.

Other donations:

  • 17 boxes of books were donated from Half Price Books in Mason.
  • 100 pairs of new shoes were donated from the Shoes4theShoeless nonprofit.
  • 100 crocheted items, including hats, baby dolls with blankets, pillows, and more from the Hooked on Jesus Crochet Class at First Southern Baptist Church in Camden, Ohio.
  • 20+ boxes of all kinds of other gifts, including gloves, socks, art/craft supplies, baby items, toys of all types, sport balls, Legos, backpacks, purses, hygiene supplies and more.

Although the final amount for all of the donations received is still being calculated, Anita Sackenheim, chair of the Holiday Project, already knows it is a record year.