The Mansfield Noon Optimist Club will be hosting its annual Adopt-a-Child program Saturday, Dec. 14. Twenty elementary students, 16 from Sherman Elementary and four from Woodland Elementary School were to be treated to breakfast, and a visit with Santa at the Elks and a day of shopping with an Optimist Club member and spouse.
The Adopt-a-Child program has been an annual tradition of the organization for the past 33 years and directly involves about half of their membership.
“We always hope what the children experience on that day, they will take with them. To cherish those memories and later in life reciprocate themselves in some way,” said Char Bottomley, Chairperson of the Adopt-a-Child program and Mansfield Noon Optimist member.
Each year 20 students from local schools are chosen. The schools provide the members with information that is verified by staff as to the needs of the children and contact information. Once the members receive the information, Bottomley follows up on the information and verifies the information again before passing on the list to members to divide and choose a child to adopt for the day.
For the past 25 years Bottomley, chairperson of the program, has been in charge of planning and organizing the days activities.
”I look forward to seeing the looks on the children’s faces as they enjoy the time and attention given to each. The day is all about them and they are made to feel special. That is priceless,” said Bottomley.
According to Bottomley after this year she plans on stepping down from the position of Chairperson of the Adopt-a-Child program. She went to say, ”I will most certainly still be involved, I love it, I love the children. I will just be delegating more responsibility to other members.”
The day’s activities begin with each participating member and spouse picking up a child they have chosen to adopt and everyone heads to the Mansfield Elks Lodge 56 located at 499 Park Avenue West for breakfast. After breakfast, Santa arrives to read to the children.
The children will have an opportunity to visit with Santa and tell him their Christmas wish. Goody bags filled with school supplies, stickers, toys and other fun items are distributed to each child, a picture with Santa and a personalized ornament is also provided to each child.
Then it’s off to Wal-Mart for a day of shopping. Each child is allocated $100 and they are encouraged to choose for themselves clothing, shoes, toys and other items of their liking. As in other years, Wal-Mart provides complimentary refreshments for the young shoppers such as juice, snacks and cookies.
“Though we budget $100 per child many of the members kick in additional money of their own so that the kids can get a little more,” said Rob Danuloff, president of the Mansfield Noon Optimist.
Optimist member Wanda Denman said, ”Char is an awesome lady. In the beginning it was just the $100 for each child and each year she contacts more people who donate such things as books, small toys, jingle bells necklaces for each little girl and the list goes on and on. For the past few years she has made sure that children who have siblings at home also receive a gift. I think Char is a “miracle worker” and an angel too.”
Once the shopping is done the children head to McDonald’s on Lexington Avenue for lunch and are usually returned home to their families around noon to 1 p.m.
“I was handed the program around the time I joined the Optimist Club in August of 1991. It has really grown. It has morphed into a lot, different from what it began. I am really grateful to have had a chance to be apart of this. This could not be what it is today without the dedication and support of all of the members and others in the community who contribute as well,” said Bottomley.
According to Danuloff, for all the years of time and dedication he estimates that approximately 500 lives have been touched by the efforts of Bottomley. It is in his belief and the belief of other club members that Bottomley should be honored in a unique way for the work she has done.
Bottomley stated she looked forward to watching the program continue to grow and hopes to see more people in the community volunteer and contribute to what she feels is an important day in the lives of the young children who participate.
“This is really such a great opportunity not just for the children but for those who volunteer, contribute and participate in any way. The memories that are created for theses children will live with them always,” said Bottomley.
”I look forward to seeing the looks on the childrens faces as they enjoy the time and attention given to each. The day is all about them and they are made to feel special. That is priceless,” said Char Bottomley.