By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Each year, members of the Otsego High School chapter of the National Honor Society conduct an annual toy drive to support the efforts of the Otsego Christmas Ministries.
This year’s drive raised approximately $9,000, which was used to buy toys for 166 children in the Otsego area.
The children who receive the toys are from families identified through local churches in conjunction with the Otsego Christmas Ministries.
These same families also receive the food donations collected through the Otsego High School Student Council’s recent food drive.
Otsego High School math teacher Katie Wideen, who serves as the school’s NHS advisor, said the importance of the toy drive to the community can’t be overstated.
“It’s important because there are so many kids in our immediate community who have so little—especially in the economic times we are in—and this is just a small way to bring smiles to their faces when they see all the gifts under the tree,” she said.
According to Wideen, the toy drive fits perfectly into the mission of the National Honor Society, as highlighted by its four pillars: scholarship, service, leadership and character.
“This toy drive is a huge service to the community,” Wideen said.
To collect money for the toy drive, the NHS members held several fundraisers. Those included:
- a bake sale during intermission each night of the musical;
- a bake sale at one of the football games;
- Three Dine To Donate events in three different restaurants (Blaze Pizza in Oshtemo, Panera in Oshtemo and Culvers in Otsego);
- a pay-to-wear-jeans fundraiser for the middle school and high school teachers (teachers could pay $10 per week for each week between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break to wear jeans every day of the weeks they paid for);
- and a calendar fundraiser where people sponsored a day in November and paid that amount (for example, if you sponsored the 10th of November, you paid $10).
Once the money was raised, it was time for the NHS members to have a little fun.
Several of them went to the Meijer on West Main in Kalamazoo to pick out and purchase the toys to be given away.
“We want to give the Meijer on West Main a huge thank you for allowing us to come and invade their store for two-plus hours of shopping,” Wideen said.
It’s an experience that, according to Wideen, is always an impactful one for the NHS members as they begin to look outside themselves.
“This project is very eye-opening to a lot of the kids,” she said. “When they get the lists of things that the kids want, there is always shock and amazement as to what the kids we are shopping for ask for.
“Yes, many of them ask for toys, but a lot of the older ones that we buy for—the teens—ask for make-up or hair ties, a brush, body wash, blankets and similar items. Things that my NHS kids just take for granted and might even have a drawer full of that type of stuff at home.
“Even simple things like a box of crayons or drawing paper make the kids stop and think about how lucky they really are.”
While the toy drive is over, the Otsego High School NHS still has plenty of service projects planned for the remainder of the school year.
Those projects include: - The Share the Warmth Project in January.
“We will be collecting new winter hats, gloves, scarves and warm socks (both adult and kid sizes) and delivering them to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission,” Wideen said. “We will have an Amazon Wish List set up, or people can also drop donations off at the high school during normal school hours.” - Serving as guest readers at the districts elementary schools during March is Reading Month.
“My big kids love this, and the little kids love having the big kids come and read to them and hang out for a short time,” Wideen said. - Taking part in Roof Sit in May.
“We will be helping out with Roof Sit by participating in their Tips for Kids campaign,” Wideen said. “Roof Sit raises money to help provide resources to children and families in the Kalamazoo area that have been affected by child abuse.”
In addition to those bigger projects, the OHS NHS plans to do at least one smaller project each month.
