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Overflow Crowd Receive Coats/Chaps sponsor Toyland event
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Hundreds of volunteers joined the Round Rock Serving Center on Saturday at the Dell Diamond to distribute thousands of “Coats for Kids.” Cynthia Flores, caseworker for the Serving Center and coordinator of the program, told the volunteers around 8 a.m., right before the clients started to pick up the coats, twice as many needy kids registered to receive a coat this year as compared to last year. She said that 1415 families and 3200 children from the Round Rock area were expected to receive coats. Most of them attended Distribution Day on Saturday, but if they were unable to attend, coats can also be picked up through the end of December at the Serving Center, which is located at 1099 E. Main Street in Round Rock.
I helped distribute coats, along with hundreds of other volunteers. Smiles filled the children’s faces as they received their coats. I worked in the area distributing coats to younger girls and the pink coats were definitely the most popular. Unfortunately, we ran out of the toddler size coats and folks needing those sizes will have to go to the center later to receive one. Many other community groups were in attendance including groups from Community Impact newspaper, wearing cute “Community Impact Cares” t-shirts; Round Rock Noon Rotary members; St. Helen’s Catholic School students and parents; Taylor High School students and teachers; Round Rock Chaparral Women’s Club members; students and teachers from Southwestern University, the University of Texas and Round Rock ISD. Scott and White Round Rock Hospital was the title sponsor, donating $10,000 and sending lots of volunteers. Many other community groups donated funds as well. Several local dry cleaning businesses, such as Reid’s, Rick’s and American, donated free cleaning of used coats. Providing security and assistance at the event were members of First Battalion, Second Regiment of the Texas State Guard. Also, Round Rock City Councilmember Carlos Salinas and his wife, Vicki Kapp-Salinas, also volunteered their time and their Spanish-speaking skills. I taught public elementary school with Mrs. Salinas in Austin in the eighties, and she currently works at Bluebonnet Elementary School in Round Rock. All in all, it was a wonderful experience of our community coming together to help the less fortunate, of which we have more than ever this year.
Across the parking lot from the Coats for Kids Distribution Day, at the Old Settler’s Pavilion, the Round Rock Chaparral Women’s Club held their second annual “Babes in Toyland” event. Billed as a “premiere shopping event,” it featured booths from various vendors, including local salons, candle and jewelry sellers, and much more. Seton Williamson Hospital Good Health Commons had a booth that offered free shoulder massages and also, acupuncture. Firehouse Subs was one of the sponsors and they were selling their delicious sandwiches. The cute pink “Cooking with the Chaparrals” cookbook was also on sale. All proceeds benefit local charities as the groups’ mission is “to promote member awareness and participation in civic and community activities.” According to 2009-2010 Chaparral President, Shanna Kemp, the approximately fifty member club hoped to raise approximately $5000 at the “Toyland” event and were on track to do so when I visited about halfway through the day-long event. Last year, the Chaps donated approximately $43,000 to a plethora of local charities, including the Round Rock Serving Center, the Williamson County Brown Santa Program and many more. Robin Brinegar, president-elect of the club, was selling raffle tickets and said sales had been good. The Chaps’ biggest fundraiser is a gala called “Carnival” which will be held in February of 2010. Kudos to the club members, including past president Kristen Stevens, daughter of former Round Rock Mayor Charlie Culpepper and mother of three, who worked at the Coats for Kids Distribution and then went immediately to the “Toyland” event and volunteered there as well.
For more information on the Round Rock Serving Center, go to http://www.servingcenter.org.
For more information on the Round Rock Chaparral Women’s Club, go to http://www.rrchaps.org.
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