HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Santa Shop helps hundreds of kids for 14th year

A public shopping session is set for next Saturday 10 to 2 p.m.

Posted

FORT MADISON - The PAW Animal Shelter and its army of volunteers once again put on a shopping experience for local youth in order to help them put packages under the tree for their families.

More than 20 children were on hand Saturday afternoon at the Santa Shop behind the Fort Madison Chamber's Enchanted Forest in the Aldi building in downtown Fort Madison.

PAW Director Sandy Brown said there were more than 100 kids shopping last weekend, the first weekend of the shop, and about 50 had come through this week before 1 p.m.

The shop was open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the past two weeks. Saturday was the last day for kids to shop with elves and get free wrapping. Next Saturday, the shop will be open to the public, but there are no elves to help children on that day because it's open to everyone. There also will be no wrapping.

"On the 17th, the shop will be open to the public during the same hours," Brown said. "Kids can shop but there will be no elves and no wrapping."

The event is one of the major fundraisers each year for PAW and Brown said the event has had to be moved eight different times over the past 14 years to keep it going. She said if they have to move again they may be unable to continue it.

Brown said she was so appreciative of the Aldi Corporation for allowing them to have the event there for the second year. She said Aldi doesn't even require them to move everything out each year, which saves on volunteer time and effort.

"The community really likes this and unless we have to move we're not going to stop," she said.

Last week  close to 100 kids came in and shopped for family and this week they had about 50 before noon with two hours left for shopping.

Next year will be  PAW's 15th year holding the Santa Shop. Brown said her whole family has been involved in putting on the event, including her grandchlidren.

She said there will also be a spring fundraiser this year.

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