Boys and Girls Club of Alton celebrates community Christmas in a big way

ALTON – The Boys and Girls Club of Alton hosted a Christmas Party Thursday evening to celebrate children and community.

Executive Director Al Womack said the party was the brainchild of Kenny Meyer, who thought it would be a good idea to show the children community support through a “Giving Tree.” With the Giving Tree, each child would be able to make a list of up to three items with a $50 limit. Members of the community would select a child's wishlist and fulfill it for them. Womack said 97 kids were able to participate in the Giving Tree, and each was beyond satisfied with what they received.

“Each one of those kids had their lists met,” he said Friday morning. “It was amazing, seeing all that gratitude in their eyes. Anyone who was in the room couldn't help but be in the Christmas spirit seeing all of that.”

The party was held in the second-floor banquet area of Bluff City Grill. Womack said owner Cathy Gross volunteered the space. Food and decorations were provided from across the community and the work required to implement those instruments of holiday cheer was done by students from Alton High School's work program.

Students on the basketball team also bused tabled throughout the evening. Womack said children were able to attend with their parents.

This was the second instance of children from the Boys and Girls Club of Alton being able to have their Christmas wishes answered. Last Saturday, Womack said the annual 89.9 Hours of Christmas hosted by WLCA FM, located at Lewis and Clark Community College, raised as much as $4,000 for the organization.

With that money, Womack said as many as 50 kids were able to spend $50 toward holiday gifts at the Alton Target. The remainder of that money raised will go to support parties for the kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Alton.

The children celebrating these events ranged in age from 6-13, Womack said.

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