BENTONVILLE — Scores of volunteers sorted 54 long rows of toys at Sharing & Caring of Benton County’s annual distribution day Friday morning at the county fairgrounds.
More than 1,800 vehicles drove through the fairgrounds as volunteers from Walmart, Sam’s Club, Sun Products and Kimberly-Clark loaded them with toys, housewares and food. Sharing & Caring provided a Christmas for 4,766 children this year, said Irene Medrano, director.
At A Glance
About The Program
Sharing & Caring of Benton County is supported by fundraisers, sponsorships and individuals to help thousands of families at Christmas each year. The group checks its registration lists against Salvation Army and other nonprofit groups to make sure families are only registered with one organization.
Source: Staff Report
Roger Cooley and his wife, Twila, of Bella Vista donned elf hats before starting their volunteer shift delivering toys. Roger Cooley, a Walmart employee, said this is his second year to help with Sharing and Caring.
He pulled the ticket off the windshield of a vehicle idling in front of the fairgrounds warehouse, and the Cooleys walked hurriedly into the building. They found the correctly marked aisle and checked the ticket number against two bags full of toys in a marked cardboard box.
“The tough part is remembering which car you have,” Roger Cooley said as he scanned the line of cars for the woman in the gray Honda he was helping.
The two loaded the toys in the open trunk as a baby in a carseat smiled and waved at Twila.
“Merry Christmas,” Twila Cooley called to the mom and baby as they drove away.
“It’s nice to be out and just help people, to have the experience,” she said.
Medrano said the program couldn’t be successful without the help of the volunteers. About 175 volunteers coalesce each year in early December — no matter what the weather — to hand out the presents. A few work all year long with no pay to make sure needy children and their families have a merry Christmas, she said.
Medrano smiled as she watched volunteers load food and housewares into the vehicles.
“How do you thank people like that?” Medrano asked. “It sounds corny, but I can’t find the words to thank so many people.”
For many volunteers like the Cooleys, just being part of the event is reward enough. Groups smiled and joked as they placed Christmas hams, coats and blankets into vehicle trunks.
Volunteers were rewarded with lunch provided by Club Marketing after the long line of cars dissipated around 2 p.m. The group cooked hot dogs and hamburgers, while Starbucks provided coffee throughout the morning.
While Medrano credits volunteers with the event’s success, volunteer Steve Pangle said Sharing and Caring wouldn’t be where it is without Medrano.
“Make no mistake, it’s Irene,” Pangle said. “She is a force to be reckoned with. It’s her drive. She works toward this all year.”