I love to help otherz. You shood help otherz too.
That was the message Collin Walls found scrawled on a sheet of paper and wrapped around a can of food Friday as he sorted through a mountain of goods donated to help local families during the Christmas season.
‘This is why I do this,? said Walls, longtime Rotarian and Springfield Township supervisor, showing the note around. ‘This is what it’s all about.?
The Christmas Basket Program, in its 39th year, is the Davisburg Rotary’s biggest’and some would say most important’event of the year. Much of the money raised by the organization throughout the year goes toward funding the basket. This year, the need was significantly up from last year. In 2005, the Rotary delivered 57 baskets. This year, the number shot up to 107.
‘The economy’s terrible, people are out of work,? Walls said. ‘So the need was greater this year, but the recognition and response to the need was much greater, too.?
The writer of the note, said Walls, likely donated his can of food at one of the participating elementary schools’Davisburg, Andersonville and Cedar Crest Academy. Approximately 45 individuals and businesses made donations of cash, food, and other items.
Rows and rows of boxes waited along dozens of tables as Rotarians listened to Christmas music while they sorted the food, toiletries and household products that were to be packed by volunteers from the community. With each family receiving a ‘basket? made up of four boxes, the 40 or so volunteers who showed up Friday evening took a mere 55 minutes to complete the task.
Basket deliveries began around 8 a.m. Saturday, and by 11 a.m., 107 families in Springfield Township, Rose Township and a small part of Groveland Township had received their boxes.
‘For many of us, Christmas would not be Christmas without the basket program,? Walls said. ‘It’s our chance to give back to our community.?
Other Rotarians agree, saying that the club gives them the chance to help out and make a difference in the community while also developing friendships with like-minded individuals.
‘We always work hard and play hard,? said Steve Gore, who joined the Davisburg Rotary about a year ago. ‘We always find a way to laugh and have a good time while we’re getting things done. We’re a little club that can do.?
The Davisburg Rotary is a local chapter of a worldwide organization comprised of approximately 1.2 million members in 2,000 clubs spread over more than 200 countries and geographical areas.