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Santa's Toy Shop
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Eric Harris snaps a photo of a finished Christmas tree after he and his mother decorated it with "stars" at the Bank of Colorado on Friday afternoon. Members of the community are encouraged to take "star" from the tree and go shopping for the child that the star represents, then return a wrapped present to the tree. Gifts are then distributed to less fortunate children on December 21st as part of Santa's Toyshop.
CHAD SPANGLER / gtphoto@greeleytribune.com
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Jennifer Moore, (Bio) jmoore@mywindsornow.com
December 1, 2007
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Eric Harris believes Santa's Toy Shop is the best way to end the year.
"It ends the year with a bang," Harris said as he hung stars on one of the Christmas trees Friday afternoon at the Bank of Colorado.
Sponsored by the Windsor Optimist Club, Santa's Toy Shop is a 20 year-old holiday tradition in Windsor where the community purchases gifts for children in need who live in the Windsor-Severance Re-4 School District and provides baskets full of goodies for seniors.
Harris and his mother Margaret Harris were out Friday placing the stars on trees in 10 different businesses around Windsor. Eric said 76 families with more than one child have signed up to receive gifts this year.
The yellow stars have gift ideas for all ages of children, the purple stars are items needed for elderly baskets, and the red stars are asking for scarfs, mittens and caps for the winter season.
Residents are encouraged to pick up the stars, buy and wrap the suggested gift and place it back under a giving tree. The presents will be picked up before Dec. 17.
On Dec. 21, the Harris', other Optimist members and volunteers will pass out the gifts at the Windsor Community Recreation Center to those families and children in need.
"It's a wonderful project and a neat way to give to kids," Margaret said.
Each year more than 100 families and nearly 300 kids received Christmas presents from Windsor Optimist Club members. Each kid receives two or three gifts, and 50 new bicycles were given out last year.
More than half the gifts were purchased from community members; $2,000 from the annual Rudolph Run helped pay for the bikes and other presents.
"The Windsor community is amazing every year," Margaret said. "The people have a real habit to give."
Santa's Toy Shop was started about 20 years ago by Margaret's husband, Marvin Harris, who died in 1998. Since then, Margaret as well as Harris and his sister, Heather Reed, keep the tradition alive.
The first few years the toy shop took used toys and asked residents to clean out their toy chests. Today newer toys including toy cars, games and dolls are being purchased.
"Those families have no idea what they will be getting that night, and they always get more than they anticipate. There are so many tears and hugs," Margaret said.
One 10-year-old girl wants books, another 11-year-old boy wants board games, and several children have asked for bikes this year. Eric said whatever is not purchased and wrapped by the community members, he gets to go shopping for.
"I just love the smiles (on the children's) faces," Harris said. The day we give out the presents, the eyes get big, and the smiles and thank yous is what it is all about," Harris said.
Breakout: Windsor Optimist Santa's Toy Shop Locations
- The Egg and I, 1250 Main St.
- Windsor Athletic Club, 655 Academy Court
- First National Bank, 1291 Main St.
- Bank of Colorado, 1041 Main St.
- King Soopers, 1520 Main St.
- Wells Fargo, 1069 Main St.
- Windsor Now, 423 Main St.
- Union Colony Bank, 1505 Main St.
- New Frontier Bank, 1130 Main St.
- Knowledge Bound, 1045 Main St.
- The Medical Arts Centre, 1300 Main St.
- Turning Leaf Gallery, 4630 Royal Vista, Interstate-25 Exit behind Arby's
For more information, contact Eric Harris at (970) 686-5397.
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