MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Noon Optimist Club was busy giving and receiving joy during this Christmas season.
Members held their annual Adopt a Child event on Dec. 9. The club provided additional gifts to children in Richland County with help from the Centennial Drive earlier this year.
The collaborative event included free Buckeye Imagination Museum tickets and breakfast from the Elks Lodge (#86). A total of 43 children attended the event with parents and caregivers.
Club members purchased gifts for the children and assisted with the event. The local Boy Scouts helped with site preparation and cleanup. Kevin Zehe, a past president of the Noon Optimist Club, said the club logged 715 total preparation hours for the Adopt a Child event.
Santa also helped spread Christmas cheer to the participants. Zehe said Bill and Geri Rea have organized the event for many years. This year’s Adopt A Child invested $8,544 into community youth.
The Mansfield Christian School Image Chorus/Band sang Christmas carols at the Optimist Club meeting Dec. 13. Some of these songs included “Silent Night”, “Mary Did You Know” and “Little Drummer Boy.”
“This is a truly remarkable and talented group of performers,” Zehe said.
Club member Bob Brenner and others continued the Optimist Club’s longstanding tradition of volunteering for the Salvation Army bell-ringing in front of Kroger this year.
To wrap up the Christmas festivities, the Richland County Performing Arts “Strut Your Stuff” chorus performed at the last meeting of the year on Dec. 27. All of the performers are between the ages of 75 and 85 years old.
“They are truly remarkable,” Zehe said. “We are very proud to be able to serve the children and families in our community and be a part of this blessed holiday season.”