Officers shop to brighten Christmas for children

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Dec 21, 2001 by Capital-Journal

Operation Santa Claus: Soldiers spend day buying toys

See OPERATION SANTA CLAUS, page 5

The Capital-Journal

FORT RILEY --- "Anytime you want to hand me a couple thousand dollars and tell me to go spend money in a toy section, and then I don't have to foot the bill or unload the car, I'm there!" said Barbara Hearron, wife of CSM Richard Hearron, 24th Infantry Division (Mech.) command sergeant major.

That is exactly what happened when soldiers from Fort Riley's Operation Santa Claus program invited three guests from the post to accompany them on a shopping spree at the Wal-Mart Super Center in Junction City on Dec. 12.

OSC spent $5,600 filling 20 carts with approximately 500 children's toys.

Pam Metz, wife of Maj. Gen. Thomas Metz, commanding general 24th Infantry Division (Mech.) and Fort Riley, helped with the shopping spree. She and Hearron joined Sue Hopkins, wife of CSM Nathaniel Hopkins, 3rd Brigade command sergeant major, in the holiday event.

With elves in tow, the trio selected Christmas presents for children from birth to 14.

"Currently, we have plenty of toys for the 3- to 5- and 6- to 9- year-old age groups," said MSgt. Mike Hitzges, senior elf for OSC. "The ladies will choose gifts for the other ages. Each gift can cost up to $15."

Metz said that because she is a teacher, she chose educational toys like games.

"I bought for the ten- to eleven-year-old boys and girls, " Metz said.

Sgt. Joseph Law, soldier elf from 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, assisted Hearron with shopping for boys and girls 12-14 years old.

"I expected a mad house and imagined we'd be running down aisles, throwing things in the cart --- but it didn't work like that," Law said.

Law said that Hearron had a plan for the toy shopping.

"She was fast, knew what to get and where to go," he said. "My job was to calculate prices. They gave me a limit."

Hearron explained that she has been on these OSC shopping sprees for the past four years.

"I had the twelve to fourteen age group for boys and girls," Hearron said. "I had some really great elves helping me. It's amazing to see these young men who would pick up a gift and say, 'Whoa! A 12- year-old girl would love this!' We got a lot of sporting equipment and electronic gizmos."

Hopkins said she was excited about being asked to shop for children's toys for Operation Santa Claus. She said she found it very challenging at first.

She selected toys for children ages birth to 2 years old.

"I was elated to come out today and help," Hopkins said. "With the $1,500 I spent, we were able to reach out to so many kids, and I would love to see their faces on Christmas morning."

Her soldier elves' were a tremendous help in choosing gifts, Hopkins said.

"The elves working with us were fantastic!" Hopkins said.

Hitzges said that the number of toy buys at area stores depends on the number of donations taken in during the year, which in turn, affects how much is spent at each buy.

The elves traveled to the Manhattan K-Mart on Dec. 13 to gather more toy treasures. An additional $1,900 was spent on this shopping spree.

"We have at least five buys each year, " Hitzges said.

He said that the OSC got off to a great start, but has since leveled off.

"I think we've done very well this year considering how late it got up and running," he said. "We're not at the same level as last year right now and unless we see a big influx of donations over the next week, we won't meet the same standard as last year."

The senior elf stressed that OSC welcomes all donations, new toys, supplies, cash and especially volunteers to wrap the gifts.

New toy donations can be made off post in Junction City at Wal- Mart and Alco and in Manhattan at Wal-Mart, Alco, Staples, K-Mart and Kay-Bee Toys.

Donations can also be made on post at each Brigade Headquarters, Post Headquarters, Irwin Army Community Hospital, Credit Union 1, Fort Riley National Bank, the Post Exchange, the Commissary and Santa's Workshop, Bldg. 222.

Monetary donations can be mailed to NCOA Operation Santa Claus, P.O. Box 2427, Fort Riley, KS 66442.

Volunteers may stop by Santa's workshop Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to wrap toys. For more information, call (785) 239- 6944.

"I feel good about the shopping trips because the people in the surrounding communities gave to us, and we put the money back into the local economy," Law said. "It all works out, and we know children will have a good Christmas."

Submitted

Top: Elves from Fort Riley's Operation Santa Claus lined up shopping carts full of new toys for children. The group spent $6,500 at area department stores Dec. 12 and 13. Below: Spec. Jerome Eckelburger, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor, scouted the shelves at K-Mart looking for new toys for Operation Santa Claus.