Operation Christmas

Student Ambassadors sponsor toy drive for Harrisonburg foster children

By Caroline Cournoyer, staff writer
Posted on December 3, 2007

The unforgettable joy of waking up on Christmas morning to cookies and presents from Santa Claus is an experience not enjoyed by all, but this holiday season, JMU Student Ambassadors are holding its 8th-annual Operation Santa Claus to spread that joy to foster care children in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.          

Operation Santa Claus will take place in Grafton-Stovall Theatre on Tuesday at 7 p.m. It will feature 13 acts including Note-Oriety, The Dukettes, Madison Project and Exit 245, all for $5 or an unwrapped toy.

“JMU is such an awesome campus that it’s easy to get lost in the JMU bubble, so it’s important for us to make sure we turn an open eye to the local problems and things that could be a lot better in our local community,” said sophomore Dinwiddie Lampton IV, OSC co-committee head.

Last year, OSC raised $4,600, up from only $500 the first year. This year its goal is to surpass last year’s record, according to Cory Giordano, OSC Co-Committee Head.

Members have already raised $225 from a fundraiser at Caesar’s Italian Restaurant and have upcoming fundraisers at Qdoba Mexican Grill, Cici’s Pizza, and Coldstone Creamery, according to Giordano. OSC is also co-sponsoring the showing of Across the Universe at Grafton Thursday and Friday. All proceeds go to the children of HRSSD.

The foster children, 207 in all, are currently under the care of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Social Services District, according to HRSSD Foster Care Supervisor Molly Pallavicini.

Children are removed from their home and placed in foster care for different reasons. Parental problems such as child abuse, illness, substance or alcohol abuse, incarceration and death are the most common, according to Pallavicini.

The money OSC raises will guarantee all 207 children a present this Christmas. The social service workers contact every child and get an idea of what they want. Although they cannot give every child a Wii, Pallavicini said they try to get them what they asked for or something similar.

“[When the kids open their presents] they are so excited and happy,” she said. “It’s that feeling of oh-my-gosh someone thought about me. It’s something that they never forget.”

“It’s a positive memory for them,” Pallavicini said. “If you can look back and see some good things that happened, that really helps the children to heal.”

OSC members strive not only to bring joy to the children in a time of celebration but also to teach them a valuable lesson that will stick with them.

“We want them to just be happy and have a wonderful holiday season,” Lampton said.  “Our hopes are that in turn later in their lives, they’ll realize that there are other people making strong efforts to help them improve their situation and they’ll want to give back in the same way.”