MANCHESTER – It wouldn’t be the holiday season without the school district’s Kevin’s Kids program and that long standing tradition returned recently bringing with it a lot of happy faces.
This year marked four decades for the secret Santa initiative and it proved to be the program’s largest response in helping hundreds of families in need by fulfilling specific gift lists one family at a time.
What makes Kevin’s Kids so unique is the goal of bringing the community together to fundraise and shop from specific gift wish lists that are submitted by every single family that the program is made aware of who are in need during the holiday season.
The program began when a first-grade teacher at Whiting Elementary School shared with Kevin Burger, the school’s principal at the time, that a student who informed him that Santa did not come to his house that year.
Kevin and the teacher learned of the child’s holiday wish list and, together with their colleagues, made Christmas happen for that student. From that point on, Kevin’s Kids was formed and has expanded tremendously over the years.
This year, under the leadership of Director of Student Personnel Services Alex George, and alongside Burger, the school district helped approximately 200 Manchester families, and approximately 400 children, to enjoy their holiday.
George noted, “this is one of Manchester School’s biggest fundraising efforts and it truly shows what a great community and place Manchester is to live and raise a family. Kevin’s Kids is another reason that I am so proud to be a part of this school district and town. We are truly a family who works together to take care of those in our community.”
He added that lots of people play a role in Kevin’s Kids, whether it be fundraising by staff or local community organizations. School bus drivers volunteer to pick up and transport gifts while School Building and Grounds employees spend hours of their own time putting together toys and bicycles.
Senior communities are a huge part of the movement, he said. Township entities and businesses support through donations, drives and even provide space where the school district can hold gifts ahead of distribution, such as at the Whiting First Aid building.
Staff members come on their own time with their families on the weekend before the final gift distribution to shop for any outstanding gifts, sort those gifts per family, wrap them with love and prepare them for the anonymous distribution that occurs at a district school on a Sunday afternoon.
Burger also noted that the program goes above and beyond just providing gifts to children in need. By fulfilling a child’s specific gift list. It has helped them achieve. Specifically, a student who received their first computer through Kevin’s Kids in the past later went on to attend MIT.
This year, a student was gifted driving lessons. In the past children have requested work boots or bicycles to ensure they can get to work and perform their jobs after school hours successfully and completely. Each year, every child receives a warm coat.
For additional information about the Kevin’s Kids program contact Dina Silvestri at dsilvestri@mtschools.org.
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