The Kiwanis Club of Arnold will hold its seventh annual Giving and Light Fair on Sunday, Dec. 3.
Admission is free for the fair, which is set for 1-5 p.m. at the Fox C-6 Service Center, 849 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold.
However, organizers ask attendees to donate an unwrapped toy, nonperishable food item or paper product to be distributed to those in need.
Kiwanis Club member Carole Yount said most of the donated items will go to the Salvation Army of Jefferson County, although some items may be donated to other area charitable organizations, depending on how much is collected.
Festivities will include photos with Santa Claus, giveaways, children’s activities, a basket auction and a free raffle for 25 Chromebooks. St. Louis Cardinals’ mascot Fredbird also will make an appearance.
“It is a lot of fun for us,” Yount said. “We get excited to watch the kids come in and how much they look forward to seeing Santa and to the Chromebook drawing.”
The fair is held in the building’s meeting room, and Santa Claus will be available for visits and photos in the Service Center lobby. Yount said Dan Easton, a former Fox C-6 School District teacher, and his family will provide free pictures with Santa Claus.
Fredbird is expected to be at the fair between 3-3:30 p.m.
Yount said the Kiwanis was able to increase the number of Chromebooks it is raffling off this year because of the money the group raised while partnering with the Arnold Police Officers Association (APOA) to put on the Arnold Days Car and Bike Show.
APOA president and Arnold Police Officer Matt Phillips said the show raised a total of about $5,700, and the Kiwanis Club received about $3,200 of that, APOA and Arnold Police Officer Kevin Wilson said.
“For them to include us in the car show to be able to raise money to purchase the Chromebooks was a thrill,” Yount said. “Normally, we purchase 10, 12 or 15 (Chromebooks). We never expected to be able to give away 25. It is amazing, especially since Fox is not purchasing Chromebooks for the district this year. This will be helpful for some of the kids who need them.”
Yount said at least 10 organizations are expected to take part in the fair, providing activities and games for children. Booths will be decorated with lights to match the Giving and Light Fair theme.
Some of the activities that may be included during the fair include a fishing booth, picture frame making, writing letters to Santa and playing bingo.
In addition, each child who attends the fair will receive a flashlight, Yount said.
She said Fox and Seckman high school Key Club members will volunteer during the event to help with the activities.
Rockport Heights Elementary School staff members will give away socks, and Lone Dell Elementary School staff members will give away hats and gloves. Guffey Elementary School staff members also will have items to give children.
“This is the first year for Guffey; we are excited to have them,” Yount said.
Heroes for Kids, a nonprofit organization based in Perryville whose members dress up as superheroes and are available for photos, will be on hand, and the Missouri Freemasons will register children for the Missouri Child Identification Program, which allows parents to store photos, fingerprints, their child’s information and emergency contacts on a computer disk compatible with the Amber Alert system that is used when a child is missing or abducted. The parents also will receive a dental bite impression of their child and two laminated ID cards.
Yount said it takes between 15 to 20 minutes for a child to complete the MoCHIP process, and she said the Freemasons are expected to bring search dogs for children to interact with while their parents complete the MoCHIP registration.
“Hopefully, no one will ever have to use it, but if one child is helped, it is worth doing,” Yount said. “It is a simple process and confidential. It is a great program.”
Proceeds from the basket auction at the fair will be used to provide scholarships and other projects benefiting kids, Yount said.
“There are baskets for men, women and children to bid on,” she said. “There is a good variety of baskets to bid on.”
For more information about the event, call Yount at 314-401-2669 or email her at younthome@yahoo.com. People also can go to the club’s Facebook page or contact a club member, Yount said.
The Kiwanis Club has two meetings a month, a lunch meeting at noon on the second Tuesday of each month at the Wesley Roger’s Steak and Buffet, 3601 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold, and the other at 8 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday at in the basement of Arnold City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd.