Colfax Sno-drifters collecting for ‘Christmas for Kids’

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX  —  Members of the Colfax Sno-drifters are collecting donations of gifts and cash for “Christmas for Kids” from now until December 16.

“We wanted to keep the donations in town. We are working with the school. We will take any donations — toys, mittens, hats, whatever,” said Jodi Larson of the Colfax Sno-drifters.

“We will wrap the gifts, make them age appropriate, male or female, and we will take them up to the school. There is a list of kids that are in need,” she said.

“We also are doing two donations of gift cards to two families at the school this year,” Larson noted.

The Sno-drifters are collecting the gifts as a way “to give back to the community. And to help it stay here. We’ve always wanted to do Toys for Tots, but that doesn’t necessarily stay in Colfax. Our group is here. So that’s why we want to keep everything in town, keep everything local,” she said.

Wrapped boxes for the gift donations have been set up at Kyle’s Market, Karl’s Chevrolet, and Cedar Country Cooperative.

Cash donations also are welcome

“They can leave cash donations at Kyle’s, Karl’s or Cenex also. They will have an envelope. We will probably do Cenex and Kyle’s gift cards for that. Those gift cards also will be given to the school,” Larson said.

“What we try to do with the gift cards, is we want one to go to a family with small children and one to a family that has older children. We split it up between the high school and the elementary school. We’ve been doing that for four years now,” Larson said.

“This is our first year for Christmas for Kids,” she noted.

According to the “Christmas for Kids of Dunn County” Facebook page, age guidelines are from birth to 14 years of age. Families must be residents of Dunn County, and parents who apply must have custodial rights and must meet the free and reduced lunch guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Applications are available through the schools in Dunn County and Dunn County Human Services.

“The gifts do not have to be wrapped. We will wrap them,” Larson said.

In fact, the Sno-drifters prefer that the gifts are not wrapped so that volunteers can look at the gift and make a determination whether it is more appropriate for a boy or a girl and for what age group.

“We would like to pick up the gifts on December 16. That would give me a couple of days to get everything wrapped and up to the school by Christmas break,” Larson said.

Christmas break at the Colfax school district starts December 23.

“Christmas for Kids” is completely anonymous for both the giver and the receiver.

As for the gift cards, “we never know what family gets our gift cards. We leave it up to Mrs. Bowe. She heads it for me, and I believe she has a panel of teachers who (identify those in need),” Larson said.