Grant a Christmas wish

COMMENTARY
Laura McFarland

I remember Christmas mornings with great affection.

My two sisters and I would rush out of our rooms in our pajamas, wake our parents up and pile into the living room to open our presents. For a little kid, it’s pure excitement.

Now that I’m older, Christmas is totally different. I no longer rush into the living room or wait excitedly to rip into my presents. I leave that to the younger children in my family. But I still remember those wonderful memories, and I wish all children could have that.

Unfortunately, I know that isn’t true. But I also realize there is something I can do to help at least one child have a nicer Christmas.

Every year, Bank One works with Child Protective Services to sponsor the Spirit of Christmas, a program that grants Christmas wishes to children who would probably not receive any gifts otherwise. For several years now, TCU’s Order of Omega has participated in the program by getting students to take a card with a child’s information on it and fulfill that child’s wish. Usually the child has requested a special toy and his or her clothing sizes are on the card as well.

Through the statewide program, more than 44,000 gifts were collected for 20,000 children last year. Just in Fort Worth, 4,000 gifts were collected, and 550 of those came from TCU.

There are thousands of children in foster homes, group homes, foster care and poverty-stricken homes all across Tarrant County who, more than likely, will probably get very little for Christmas.

Lisa Hill, CPS community coordinator for Tarrant County, said the program is more than just about giving children gifts so they have a nice holiday. It’s about hope. She said that most of the children in these situations have had some kind of crisis in their family. Some have been taken away from their parents or their families can barely afford food, much less gifts. For them to know that somebody out there cares enough to make sure they have a nice Christmas means more than we can imagine.

The Order of Omega has cards for 605 children this year. As of early Tuesday, 432 of those cards had been picked up. The organization will have a table set up in the Student Center next Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for people to come pick up the remaining wish cards and make a child’s Christmas something really special. The gifts should be wrapped in one box or bag, have the wish card firmly attached to them and be brought to the Holiday Tree Lighting at 9 p.m. Wednesday on the lawn in front of Sadler Hall.

I know money may be tight for some of us right now. Maybe you’ll say you don’t have the time to go shopping. Those are valid reasons not to participate in the program.

But if you possibly can spare the time and the money, please consider that you have the power to give one child a very merry Christmas. So do what is within your power and stop by the Student Center to pick up a wish card.

Managing Editor Laura McFarland is a senior news-editorial journalism and English major from Houston.