The Springfield Rotary Club celebrated its annual event Monday, allowing local children with disabilities to play games and activities, and receive a gift chosen from their wish list, hand-delivered by Santa. Rotary has partnered with Wittenberg University for over 60 years to put on this event.
Roughly 425 people attended Monday, including 145 kids and 150 Rotarians and volunteers. Heeg said her favorite part is the interaction between Santa and the children.
“You can see they’re just so enamored with Santa and the fact that they get (a gift). Yes, it’s the gift, but (also) the fact that he’s the same Santa. So if the child’s coming for three years, it’s the same Santa and he’s giving (them) what they want. It’s like this is the real Santa,” she said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Heeg said they also had a satellite Christmas party planned Tuesday at Enon Primary for other children in kindergarten through third grade.
“The Clark County Educational Service Center serves children that the districts are not able to serve ... and the satellite party is for their public school children in K-3 ... that would probably not be as easy to come to this party, so we’re able to bring Santa and the therapy dogs (to them),” she said.
Heeg explained she starts planning this event right after Christmas, mainly because of the Christmas item sales they have, which help with prizes for different stations. She said she “tries to be frugal” with the money that’s entrusted to the club and in the budget.
Heeg, now in her 13th year, said when she first started, this event was geared more toward children with physical disabilities. But now it has become a treat for those with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities as well.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
When talking about running this event and why it’s so important, Heeg gets emotional because she feels “so blessed” to be in her position and working with all the other Rotarians. She said she wouldn’t be able to do this if she didn’t have all the help from everyone.
“I see their joy and what they wish to do. Service above self is our motto, and there’s real service above self that’s happening here, so it’s wonderful to see all that camaraderie with the club coming together to do for our community,” she said. “And then for these children, even for the teachers, it’s just, special ed doesn’t always have the opportunity in the school district that other classrooms get.”
Each year, Rotary visits classrooms in the county in early fall to meet teachers and children and get Christmas wish lists. Heeg then pairs the children with a Rotarian, who is responsible for buying and wrapping a gift. Some Rotarians have requested to be paired with the same child.
“We really try to pair so that it’s a good experience for the Rotarian and that it’s a good experience for the child as well,” she said. “These Rotarians look forward to this party every year.”
All the volunteers, Rotarians and others who attended could see the joy on children’s faces as they visited each of the activities and saw Santa. Northwestern schools third grader Bentlee Arrasmith said he looks forward to this party each year, and said his favorite part is the “ice fishing” station and the excitement of getting his gift from Santa.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
At the party, children enjoy games and activities at several stations, including the Rockin’ Rudolph Hop, ice fishing, crafts, show and tell, bean bag snowmen, face art and therapy and service dogs.
Dian Schmid, who is in charge of the volunteers and has been doing this event for over 20 years, said this event is the beginning of the holiday season.
“It means everything,” she said. “It makes you appreciate the holiday season and everything that God has blessed you with. ... I think what’s amazing is with this many children, we’re able to buy each child something that they asked for.”
Schmid added this event “takes a village” with all the teachers, Rotarians, children and others who help shop, wrap, deliver items and more.
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