By Herb Moering

Christmas is a time for wonderful stories and a number of residents in the Lakewood RV Resort in Harlingen have one to tell. In fact, this will be the 28th Christmas for the Children party, slated for Wednesday, Dec. 11 at the park. It is a resumption of an effort that was interrupted last year by the pandemic.

“We are providing a special Christmas for 14 less fortunate families whose children attend the nearby local elementary school,” according to Donna Wright, a Lakewood resident and Christmas for the Children chairperson for the last 10 years. “Stuart Place Elementary School is where many of our Lakewood Winter Texans have spent precious hours mentoring students.”

 

Among the mentors are Paul and Loretta Kruse, converted Texans originally from Nebraska, who “get a lot more from the kids,” according to Paul. “What makes it special is the kids want to get into the ‘Help One Student Today’ program.”

The Kruses began helping children at Christmas through a “shoebox” project about 20 years ago. Five years later they entered the one-on-one mentoring program, which they characterized as “a little extra boost (for the students) with skills in math and reading.”

They also work on helping students raise their self-esteem. Loretta said her husband is very good at that, recalling one year when a mother explained how grateful she was for Paul’s encouragement of her young son. “Paul challenged the boy each day, telling him ‘He could do it.’ It changed that child’s outlook,” Loretta felt.

Paul said the program is well organized by the school’s director, Rebecca Zaller, and there is a close relationship with teachers and administrators at the school, Loretta said.

As many as 60 children will be expected to attend the party with their parents. For some families the children will act as interpreters as the parents don’t speak English. But it is a good time, according to Wright, thanks to Lakewood residents who have adopted a gift bag for one of the children, which will contain a variety of items including some requested gifts.

In addition, some residents adopt a family, which means acting as the party host, Wright revealed. The hosts spend all their time with each individual family, greeting them when they arrive and seeing that the kids get to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, have punch and cookies, pick out a stuffed animal or school supplies and each child receives a hand-made age-appropriate quilt, crafted by the park quilters.

Later as the family gets ready to leave, the host sees that there is a shopping cart full of foods to take home, which Wright’s husband, Steve, and other men from the park, picked up from Walmart, which “have always taken good care of us,” said Donna.

This whole operation is a major effort, funded by five projects at the park. The last one this year is a “Dance for the Children” fundraiser from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 8 that is open to the public. Donations are taken at the door for the dance, which will feature singer Leslie Blasing, a long-time entertainer in the Valley.

Blasing, the professional entertainer from South Padre Island, works at restaurant venues and RV resorts, is donating her performance. She has won five Female Vocalist of the Year awards plus three Entertainer of the Year awards, based on voting by Winter Texans. She also won “The Lifetime Achievement Award for Female Vocalist” in 2018. Her music features songs of the 50s, 60, 70s, country, rock & roll, dance band and variety. During the pandemic, she was one of the first to go online with her show.

In addition, the dance will include raffling off a hand-made quilt. Other fundraisers were a soup luncheon, bake sale and pancake breakfast.

The participating Winter Texans are looking forward to the dance, but with even greater anticipation to the party, which is always filled with the spirit of the holiday season.

“We receive a warm sense of the season in our hearts, serving God in His work,” said Donna.