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Club Gathers Gifts For Students

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 19, 2007

PLANT CITY - Christmas is coming early for some needy children in the Plant City area.

The Plant City Kiwanis Club was busy last week gathering, sorting and labeling toys to distribute to needy children at 15 area elementary schools.

Area companies, businesses and service clubs joined the effort to make this Christmas a memorable one for the students.

"This is the 19th year our Kiwanis Club has collected toys for needy children," said Robert Brown, a city commissioner who founded the toy drive.

He is the 2007 Kiwanis Club toy drive committee chairman.

Brown was at Plant City Cornerstone Center on Dec. 10 collecting toys for later distribution. He was joined by his wife, Wendy, their son Andy and the Kiwanis Club Treasurer Anna Reitz.

"Last year we distributed 3,961 gifts to 1,490 elementary school students," Brown said. "The gifts had an estimated value of $37,000."

While the group took a break after unloading a noontime delivery, Jodi Smith, an employee at South Florida Baptist Hospital, arrived at the center.

"Oh! I see you have already unloaded our gifts," Smith said to the group.

"No," Wendy Brown said. "The hospital gifts haven't arrived yet. We're just trying to get over the last delivery we just unloaded."

Reitz said participating organizations and companies included Progressive Insurance, Sunshine State Federal Savings and Loan, Platinum Bank, Wells Memorial Funeral Home, Brown's 23 1/2 Hour Wrecker Service, Jarrett-Scott Ford, the Lakes at CountryWood, Billy Herold and the Noontime Rotary Club.

Within minutes of Smith's arrival at Cornerstone Center, the hospital's Wellness On Wheels motor home rolled up and the work resumed.

Smith and fellow hospital employees Teresa Armbruster, Heather Coats and Sandra Richie helped the others unload the gifts.

"This event is very special and heartwarming to be a part of," Smith said. "Helping little children enjoy Christmas is something we all want to do."

Once the toys and gifts are catalogued, the schools will send gift requests to the group.

"That will be when we wrap the gifts and put the student's name on the package," Reitz said. "The gifts will then be delivered to the schools for distribution before the Christmas break."

Plant City High School Key Club members will help sort and wrap the gifts.

"This Christmas will be made a little better for many of the children in the area," Robert Brown said. "We appreciate all the contributors and the help given to make this a big success each year. "

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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