Spreading cheer
Annual holiday party benefitting disadvantaged children in Tuolumne County continues as drive-through event due to pandemic
Organizers of the annual Children’s Holiday Party were determined not to let the COVID-19 stop them from spreading holiday cheer to disadvantaged families in Tuolumne County.
The committee of volunteers behind the party devised a plan to continue the tradition for the 38th consecutive year by turning it into a drive-through event for the first time.
“There was a lot of planning involved and organizations with the service groups that normally work with us,” said Marilyn Fitzsimmons, a Sonora resident and member of the Children’s Holiday Party committee.
Hundreds of children and their families would typically gather inside the Me-wuk Tribes of Tuolumne County Building, formerly known as the John Muir Building, for a morning of free games, food, presents and photos with Santa Claus.
This year, hundreds of vehicles lined up at the fairgrounds as members of E. Clampus Vitus Matuca Post 1849 wearing masks and gloves approached their windows from a distance and made notes of the number, ages and gender of the children in each.
The Clampers then used walkie-talkies to relay the information to volunteers inside the Sierra Building, who would prepare gift bags for each child with gender and age specific toys, game prizes, books, healthy snacks and candy.
Volunteers in the Sierra Building, who all wore masks and maintained less than 10 people inside at one time, included current and former county employees, members of the Women of the Moose Sonora Chapter 1728, and the county District Attorney’s Office victimwitness program.
One of the volunteers would then run the bags out to each of the vehicles, which would stop to wave at Santa and Mrs. Claus as they were exiting the fairgrounds.
“It’s definitely a little different, but at least it’s happening,” said John
Vienop, a Sonora resident and humbug of the E. Clampus Vitus Matuca Post 1849.
More than 200 vehicles, many with multiple children in each, had rolled through the event as of about 11 a.m. Saturday.
The event was founded in 1983 by a group that included the late Harvey Mcgee, former owner and publisher of The Union Democrat, to benefit the children of workers at Sierra Pacific Industries who were on strike at the time.
Invitations to the party are sent out each year through the county Superintendent of Schools Office to children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. The committee also works with social services and food pantries to identify other children in need.
Duke York, the former deputy director of roads for the county, has served as the chairman for more than 30 years and said for some children in the county it might be the only gifts they receive at Christmas.
York said they typically raise about $18,000 from people and groups within the community each year to host the party and purchase all of the toys for it. While they typically don’t publicize, he felt it was important to let people know they still managed to pull it off this year in a manner that was safe and followed public health guidelines.
“We start organizing in August, and our first decision was whether it would be a go or no-go,” he said. “We decided that this year it was more important than ever for it to go on, because families are hurting.”