Rotary helps 510 kids with community’s help

Clarkston Rotary Club provided new shoes, boots, hats, and gloves to 510 Clarkston schools students, with the help of the community.
Rotary’s Goodfellow newspaper sale collected over $15,500 for Shoes for Kids, Dec. 11, at the Oakland Woods Baptist Church. About 350-400’volunteers helped at the three-day project.
“Thank you ? your donations have made an immediate differnce in a child’s life,” said Joel DeLong, program chair.
All donations were used to purchase new shoes and boots, hats, mittens and gloves for community children. Total cost was almost $20,000.
“The Clarkston Rotary Club would like to sincerely thank all of those who so generously donated during the club’s 60th annual Goodfellow newspaper sales held the first weekend in December,” DeLong said. “The success of this program can only be measured by the support it receives from the Clarkston community.”
Clarkston Rotary thanks the following for the success of this year’s program:
? A special thank you to The Clarkston News, Jim Sherman, Don Rush, and their staff for preparation and publication of Clarkston Rotary’s Goodfellow edition. The Clarkston News has donated the special newspaper for more than 20 years;
? Oakland Woods Baptist Church, Pastor Bob Galey and its members for hosting the annual Shoes for Kids distribution, and extra volunteers needed for the projects;
? Mr. Alan’s Shoes of Redford, Jason Riegle, Operations Manager, and its store volunteers for bringing many shoes and boots to Clarkston for distribution;
? Clarkston Area Lions Club and the Clarkston Community Women’s Club for raising additional funds, and providing a free KidSight Vision screening to 88 pre-school children;
? Clarkston Optimists and their Clarkston school clubs for their Opti-Socks endeavor;
? Local elementary schools and area churches that hosted hat, mittens and gloves collection Christmas trees;
? Groups creating and donating the many hats and scarves;
? Clarkston DPW for providing a warm space for the Goodfellows headquarters;
? Boy Scout Troop No. 199 and their leaders for their continued support and efforts in collecting donations;
? Rudy’s Quality Market and the Hamlin Pub for providing soup and chili to warm Goodfellow volunteers returning from the streets;
? Hungry Howie’s on Sashabaw Road for baking so many great pizzas for Shoes for Kids volunteers;
? Tim Horton’s on Maybee Road for the fresh, hot coffee and delicious pastries;
? Friends and family members of the Clarkston Rotary Club who so generously gave of their time and energy in selling newspapers; and
? Volunteers who made this year’s projects possible.