ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 22, 1995 TAG: 9512220047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY for We Care has been a big hit in Franklin County.
Judy Guilliams held a 30-gallon trash bag full of gifts and surveyed the Christmas circus going on around her.
Santa Claus talked to kids in one corner of the National Guard Armory. In another, volunteers poured cups full of soda. High school cheerleaders read Christmas stories to children nearby. A clown named Tinkerbell handed out candy.
Guilliams smiled.
"If it wasn't for this, we wouldn't have much of a Christmas," she said, her 9-year-old son Travis standing beside her. "I couldn't pick a better place to live than here in Franklin County."
Last year, so many people attended the We Care Christmas party that the event's organizers were afraid the fire marshal was going to pay a visit.
So, We Care - a Franklin County-based community help organization started four years ago - decided to split this year's party into two sessions.
The first was held Thursday afternoon.
About 300 kids, their parents, community leaders, Santa, several clowns, a large plastic ice cream cone, and a festive spirit filled the National Guard Armory.
It's become a local tradition - one that comes from the heart.
We Care, with the help of a long list of other community groups, raises funds to buy presents for underprivileged kids in the county. Overall, more than 1,000 people will have a better Christmas because of We Care and volunteers from the other local organizations.
"It's sad because there are so many of these kids," said volunteer Macio Toney. "But it's great that we can help all of them."
We Care invited qualifying parents to come to the armory on Monday and Tuesday to select specific gifts for their children.
Volunteers then separated the items into the trash bags for the parents to pick up at Thursday's party sessions.
The bags were filled to the top with presents - from Barbie dolls to basketballs to rolls of wrapping paper for parents who must do the wrapping.
Jerry Greer, one of We Care's founders, said he spent about $8,000 on Monday and Tuesday buying toys and other items for the party, and spent more before that.
Greer said he's not sure how much local money has been donated this year.
"All I know is, when we need it, it always shows up."
When We Care was started in 1991, its initial purpose was to solicit community donations to feed the hungry.
"But we quickly found out that that need was taken care of," Greer said.
So the organization quickly changed its focus to the Christmas event, although We Care also holds an annual Easter egg hunt and helps families in need at other times of the year.
Greer said the Christmas party is set up to benefit many people who otherwise might fall through the cracks.
"If a man makes $4.75 an hour, and he's got three kids, then he's going to need some help," Greer said. "And this is for the kids."
And those kids had a ball Thursday.
A little girl named Casey Janton, with deep brown eyes as big as saucers and a snowman painted on her cheek, was busy jetting back and forth across the armory Thursday.
She stopped long enough to grab the hand of cheerleader April Quinn and pull her newfound friend to another activity station.
Not far away, Greer - who had just returned from a last-minute run to the store to buy some crayons for a volunteer - took the party scene in and said: "This is what it's all about."
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. 1. Travis Warnick, 8, peeksby CNBfrom the back of the family truck Thursday at the Rocky Mount
National Guard Armory. Travis' sister, Shanna, won the wagon in a
drawing at the We Care Christmas party; she gave it to brother
Willie, 5. color. 2. Casey Janton, 4, gets her face painted by Lori
Hunley of Franklin County High School's student council.