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Keeping Holiday Magic Alive

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By RONNIE BLAIR rblair@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 17, 2008

HUDSON - Northwest Elementary School helps needy students and their families every holiday season, just like many other schools in Pasco County.

However, the slumping economy made this year a challenge, especially because many of the Northwest Elementary families depend on the construction industry for their incomes. The number of children in need had nearly doubled over 2007, but the resources appeared to have shrunk.

"This year we had an unbelievable amount of requests for help," Assistant Principal Holly Oakes said.

Disappointed children on Christmas morning was a real possibility, or at least it could have been.

The school and the community decided that wasn't going to happen.

With guidance counselor Lisa Peart leading the charge, the school went to work. Soon teachers, staff members, families, churches and businesses were stepping forward to help.

Northwest Elementary soon discovered that the economic outlook might be bleak, but generosity still has a heartbeat.

By Tuesday morning, an art room at the school was filled with wrapped presents and more were on the way.

Peart, Oakes and parent volunteer Erin Holsombach donned Santa hats and began organizing the gifts for families to pick up later this week.

"This is just amazing to me," Holsombach said as she surveyed the mountains of gifts. "I've never seen anything like this. I think this is just wonderful."

Peart said last year the school helped 122 children. This year, 213 children were on the list. All are either Northwest students or their siblings.
Contractors Institute adopts 25 children every year and did so again this year, Peart said.

Teachers and other school employees also pitched in. Several teaching teams used money collected during the school's fall festival to shop for items on the children's wish lists.

Help also came from Hope United Methodist Church in Trinity, Stainless Fabricators in Odessa, Dollar Tree, Hudson Quilters Guild and orthodontist Myron Graff, among others.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218.

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