Click here to subscribe today or Login.
EDWARDSVILLE — Ilias, age 3, Marilyn, 2 and a half, and Adalyn, 6, were three of the 120 children who went Christmas shopping Sunday morning at Kmart, courtesy of the Plymouth Rotary Club.
The brainchild of Paul “Buddy” O’Malia, the program — “Kids @ Christmas” — is in its 24th year of making Christmas brighter for families in need in Luzerne County. In those 24 years, the Plymouth Rotary Club has purchased gifts totaling more than $125,000 for more than 2,500 children who might otherwise not receive many gifts from Santa Claus.
“This is what the holidays are all about,” O’Malia said. “Kids, moms and dads shopping for gifts. Most of them pick out their favorite toys, but some choose clothing and other items.”
O’Malia was joined by his wife, Carol, about 10 other Rotarians, plus friends and volunteer students from Wyoming Valley West High School and students from the Nanticoke Interact Club who assisted families and children with their shopping.
The families are identified through local churches, schools and agencies like Head Start of Luzerne County. Everyone arrives at 9 a.m., and the shopping begins. Each child is allowed $50 to spend. The children range in age from infants to 12 years.
Louise and Randy Newman of Larksville brought Ilias, 3, to shop. Ilias knew exactly what he wanted from Santa. He was headed to the checkout line with some Thomas the Train blocks, Hot Wheels, an action figure and a police patrol car.
“This is such a wonderful program,” Louise said. “It’s a big help to the families.”
The Newmans are making this an even better Christmas for Ilias and his two brothers and two sisters. The Newmans will officially adopt the five children this Friday when all the paperwork is finalized.
“We just want them to be a part of one big happy family,” Louise said.
Lisa Boback of Edwardsville was with her granddaughter, Marilyn.
“She knows what she wants,” Boback said. “As soon as we got here, she took us right to the aisles she wanted to shop.”
Marilyn came back with a baby doll. a stroller, clothes for the doll and a stuffed animal. The smile was proof positive that Marilyn was going to have a merry Christmas.
Just ahead in line waiting to check out was Adalyn Powell, 6, with her shopping helper, Elizabeth Cherinka, a junior at Valley West. Adalyn was eager to show what she had in her cart — two Barbie dolls and some nail polish.
“Adalyn had a great time shopping,” Cherinka said. “It’s great to see the smiles on the children’s faces as they pick out what they want.”
Cherinka’s sister, Samantha, a ninth grade student from Forty Fort, was waiting with fellow Valley West student shoppers Kyra Heller, Kendra Jollimore, both sophomores from Plymouth, and Jared Zawatski, a junior from Larksville.
“This is such a wonderful event,” Zawatski said. “It really makes you appreciate what you have. All the children have so much fun picking out their gifts.”
Heller said volunteering at the event is an opportunity for her and her fellow students to give something back to the community.
“We enjoy spreading the true meaning of Christmas,” she said.
Jollimore said she most enjoyed watching the children as they walked up and down the aisles and she will always remember their smiling faces when the found what they wanted.
Samantha Cherinka said she observed a very special moment with one child in particular.
“He was shopping for himself, then he stopped and said he wanted to get something for his brother,” she said. “That made me realize what a great program this is.”
Back in 1994 when the program began, O’Malia said the Plymouth Rotary raised $400, so they could only invite eight children. He said the program has grown by leaps and bounds over the years.
“We knew we had to work harder to raise money to help as many children as we could,” O’Malia said. “Every year we enjoy putting smiles on the children’s faces — children who may not have much to smile about.”
Pat Yudichak has worked for Kmart for 43 years, now as the manager at the Edwardsville store.
“Every year we are so humbled by the community, and we are proud to be involved with this program,” she said.
Yudichak said families receive a 15 percent discount on all items purchased, making that $50 per child go a little further. Kmart also supplies food and refreshments for the event and each family is given a Kmart gift card.
