Every year, as the holiday season kicks into full gear, good Samaritans are making our communities a better place to live. Full of holiday cheer and joy, members of our community rally together to help out those in need, hoping to bring a bit of cheer and relief. Here in Lewis County, one group of helpers have been bringing gifts and smiles to local families since 2000 – the Twin Cities Rotary. And 2017 looks to be the best year yet.
On the first Friday of December, the Twin Cities Rotary Club meets for an annual members’ Christmas party. While most of us envision a Christmas party as a festive and fun time full of celebration and song, those in attendance are there for one very serious reason. Each year, the group gathers to raise money with the Rotary Giving Tree, pinning dollar bills and checks on the branches of a scraggly, Charlie Brown-esque Christmas Tree. Standing just a few feet tall, the diminutive tree is adorned with lights barely bright enough to read by, yet money raised by the Rotarians will bring loving warmth to nearly 40 families around Lewis County.
The tree, known as “The Alverson Giving Tree” is named after one of the local Rotarians. Jeff Alverson, who was a manager at the local Walmart helped convince Walmart to donate annually to the cause. Jeff has now passed away, but his spirit of generosity and kindness lives on through the giving tree. Thanks to Jeff’s passion for this event, Walmart continues to donate $1,000 in gift cards each year, on top of whatever the Rotary has raised for those in need.
Bob Cosser is a Twin Cities Rotary member and one of the main organizers of the Giving Tree, along with Bill Logan (past Lewis County Sheriff). The two members have worked together on this project since its conception in 2000. Bob is an energetic voice for this great cause. LewisTalk had the privilege of speaking with him before the 2017 event and his excitement over the success of the Rotary Giving Tree could not be masked.
“We have raised $139,254 from 2001 through 2016,” Bob exclaimed. “In that time, we helped senior citizens, flood victims and elementary school students and their families. We bounce around Lewis County, from Toledo to White Pass, and back and forth. Each year it seems to grow!”
And grow it has. While the Rotary Club never goes into an event thinking it will outdo the previous year, their donations seem to be increasing. In 2016, the Twin Cities Rotary Club raised an astonishing $18,500 for 40 needy families. The money went to gift cards to help residents in Pe Ell and Willapa Valley. In 2015, Jefferson Lincoln Elementary received $14,500 for the students in need. The hope is that after this Giving Tree celebration, the group will have raised over $150,000 since 2000. The fundraising means that more community members can be helped, building excitement amongst the Rotary members
“I have been a Rotarian with the Twin Cities Rotary for 11 years,” says member Todd Chaput of the Holiday Inn Express, where the Rotary holds its meetings. “In all my time with the club, this is what excites me the most. You can see the immediate impact our help has on the family. Some of my greatest holiday memories are from those days when we go out and deliver our gift cards to families. There are lots of tears and lots of joy.”
For members of Rotary like Todd and Bob, this is about more than playing Santa Claus. The Giving Tree is about bringing holiday spirit and joy to members of our community who may be struggling for any number of reasons. The gift cards, according to Bob, are usually spent on clothes and food, giving children and families the warmth they need over these cold months.
Deciding on a school or a group in need is a tough choice, as there are so many communities who benefit from this wonderful act of kindness. This year, a school has already been picked out, but the name of the school won’t be released until the gift certificates are handed out. The school works with Rotary to find the students who are most in need, creating a list of 35 – 40 families. This year, on December 20, members of Rotary will join staff and hand out gift cards to those in need, allowing them to shop for the holidays or for necessities at Sunbirds and Walmart.
“Families are unaware that this is happening and it comes as a Christmas miracle,” Bob told us. “This can be a tear jerker. The families have no idea it is coming and they just break down when they get the gift cards. We all get teary eyed, seeing what we are doing and how awestruck the receiver is.”
If you would like to donate and help your community, you can mail a check, made payable to the “Twin Cities Rotary Foundation,” to P.O. Box 6, Chehalis. Checks need to be received by no later than December 10. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and can send you a receipt for tax purposes. For more information, including how to become a member, visit the Twin Cities Rotary website or email them at twincitiesrotary@yahoo.com.
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