JACKSON, Tenn. — Dec. 9, 2004 — They come from abusive homes. Many live in poverty. For some, each day is a new nightmare.
But for a couple of hours Wednesday night, the children from the Carl Perkins Center in Jackson were able to forget about reality and enjoy a Christmas fantasy.
Students, faculty and staff from 51社区 hosted 33 children, ranging in age from 6-12, from the center Wednesday for the annual Carl Perkins Christmas Special. They ate a meal with the children, played games and provided each child with a stack of Christmas presents.
鈥漌e look forward to this night every year,鈥� said Lisa Schmidt of the Carl Perkins Center. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like the highlight of our Christmas season for the children. Many of the children we work with otherwise would not have Christmas.鈥�
Academic clubs, athletic teams, dorm rooms, fraternities and sororities, social clubs, staff and academic departments 鈥� people from all across the Union family participated in the event.
鈥淚t was incredible,鈥� said Union junior and Chi Omega member Kerra Kunce, of Nashville. 鈥淭hese girls are so sweet. They love everything we got for them. They were so appreciative. It just makes me feel good to do something like this around the holidays. We always have so much, so it鈥檚 so nice to give.鈥�
The children went home with presents like bicycles and basketballs, with radios and dolls, with new clothes and new friends. For many of them, the Christmas presents they received will be the only ones they get this year.
鈥淥ne of the kids was saying she hadn鈥檛 even made out a list, because she said it wasn鈥檛 even worth it,鈥� Kunce said.
After they opened their presents in the gymnasium, the children spent the rest of the time playing games with the Union students. They played basketball and football and duck-duck-goose. Some of the Union students helped the children operate new toys like remote-controlled cars.
Mark VanderHaar, Union鈥檚 director of student programs who organized the activity, said the event is designed to be an outreach to the community. But it鈥檚 even more important than that.
鈥淓vents like this really do pull the student body together,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t makes you a little more selfless. A lot of people peg college students as pretty self indulgent. I think this shows the reverse.鈥�
For Chris Hail, associate professor of mathematics, the Carl Perkins event is a chance for him and his wife Kelli to teach their three children about helping others. This was the fourth year their family has participated.
鈥淚t is a great way to get our kids involved,鈥� Hail said. 鈥淚nstead of us going out and getting something for someone they don鈥檛 see, or someone that鈥檚 not around their age, they get a better understanding and get more excited about it.鈥�
But the experience isn鈥檛 just for his kids. Hail said it also provides him with a sense of thankfulness.
鈥淲e just see how much our kids are blessed, how much we鈥檙e blessed,鈥� Hail said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the biggest thing I get out of it.鈥�
Schmidt said she was thankful for Union鈥檚 involvement in the Carl Perkins Center, and added that the gifts for the children weren鈥檛 the only contribution from Union students.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not only just the gifts, it鈥檚 the students and their willingness to be a part of these children鈥檚 lives even for a short amount of time,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so wonderful to get to watch their faces to see how thrilled they are with the attention. They realize when they鈥檙e there that they鈥檙e important. It鈥檚 such a boost to their self-esteem.鈥�