The annual Gift of Time event just celebrated its 30th year at Lancaster High School last Saturday. Families with their children in tow came to see Santa Claus, make Christmas ornaments, holiday crafts, and receive special gifts such as books, and gingerbread houses. The event also coincides with the annual Kiwanis pancake breakfast. Unfortunately, the 2024 Gift of Time is the last year that the Fairfield County Early Childhood Association will sponsor the event.
“We are really happy to have spent the last 30 years bringing smiles to families’ faces and creating a tradition for families to do every year,” said Fairfield County Early Childhood Association president Michelle Huff.
Lots of student athletes and club members from Lancaster High School participated in the event. LHS junior Levi Griner represented the National Honor Society by serving pancakes at and said he really enjoyed volunteering.
“Being able to see everyone here and working is pretty cool. Seeing everybody show up and help is pretty cool,” Griner said.
LHS Educational Assistant April Walters said that the Gift of Time event is a tradition for her and her daughter.
“We’ve been coming to this event since she was two years old and she just really enjoys it,” Walters said.
Fairfield County resident, Jennifer Miller, also brought her family because, over the years, Gift of Time is part of their holiday celebrations.
“We do it every year. It’s a family tradition and with this being the last one, we thought it would be really good,” said Miller.
LCS District Health Coordinator Sarah Mcgraw-Thimmes brought her nephews to the event, to make holiday crafts and to visit Santa Claus.
“This is a fun activity for them to do. The activities that groups have put on for them has kept them entertained this entire time,” she said.
Huff said that she knows the community will miss the annual Gift of Time event.
“The community loves this event. We heard a lot of compassion and sadness from community partners and community members attending the event this past Saturday,” she said.
Huff said that the FCECA’s decision to end the annual Gift of Time event and dissolve the association, was not made lightly.
“Our membership for FECCA has decreased prior to COVID, but it got even worse after COVID. With low membership, the board members have been in their elected positions for more than their term and members are burnt out. After our last elections in November of 2024, we had too many open board positions with no replacements,” she said.
“FCECA is a non-profit. We were able to apply for grants to help cover the cost of Gift of Time, [but] without the existence of FCECA, no one would be in charge to organize and prepare the Gift of Time. Without our core FCECA and co-chairs who have been in charge of organizing for many many years, it will have to be another agency willing to take over,” said Huff.
