Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch visited Main Street recently, bringing holiday cheer.
Nearly 200 children participated in Smart Start Columbus County Partnership for Children’s (CCPC) Magic on Main event at Vineland Station Depot, getting photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and receiving free food, pajamas, books and stuffed animals.
They also had a chance to win one of many raffle items, including six bicycles, handcrafted wooden toys, and free tickets to Boondocks Adventure Farm.
The annual event is CCPC’s way of celebrating the holidays and giving back to the community.
“The winter holidays are a magical time for children, but they can be a difficult time for their parents and caregivers, particularly financially,” said Kayla Henson, outreach support specialist with CCPC. “With this in mind, and given that the county we serve is a high-poverty area, every year we partner with other organizations to help alleviate some of that burden so children and their families can enjoy the holidays.”
CCPC’s partners include WellCare, Shriners, Corning, Men & Women United for Youth & Families, Boondocks Adventure Farm, Community CPR, Feast Down East, BlueCross/BlueShield, Lakeshore Learning, ACP Community Development Foundation, Coastal Horizons, Columbus County Youth & Families, YWCA, Region 4 Child Care Resource & Referral Agency, Columbus Regional Healthcare System, Disability Rights, St. James Woodworkers, Southeastern Community College and the CCPC Board of Directors.
Volunteers from the Retired and Senior Volunteers Program (RSVP) and others helped staff the large event, including Columbus County Clerk of Superior Court Jess Hill, and Wallyce Todd, founder and executive director of Community CPR.
“We in Columbus County love and value the health and emotional well-being of our children,” Todd said. “Community CPR has as one of its strong core values the collaboration with other non profits and agencies. It is so important to come together in unity at Christmas, and throughout the entire year, to be a blessing to our county’s children and their families.”
“The support we received from our community partners for this and other events is nothing short of amazing,” said Dr. Selena Rowell, executive director of CCPC. “We are so grateful. This combined effort and that of my team made this event a huge success.”
For additional information about Columbus County Partnership for Children, call 910-642-8226. Visit the office at 109 W. Main St. in Whiteville or online at www.columbussmartstart.com. “Like” ColumbusSmartStart on Facebook.
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