MANCHESTER – The school district’s popular holiday gift drive Kevin’s Kids turned 42 this year. The program involves many volunteers that leads to families in need having a brighter holiday.
The effort involves assisting every Manchester school district family in need with their holiday gift list being fulfilled.
This gift drive does not collect generic gifts, rather they fundraise and shop confidentially from specific gift wish lists submitted by families who ask Kevin’s Kids for support during the holiday season.
The program began more than four decades years ago when a first grade teacher at Whiting Elementary School shared with Kevin Burger, the school’s principal at the time, about a student who informed him that Santa did not come to his house that year.
Burger and the teacher learned of the child’s holiday wish list and, together with their colleagues, made Christmas happen for that student. From there Kevin’s Kids was formed and has expanded immensely over the years.
Last year, under the leadership of Director of Student Personnel Services Alex George, and alongside Burger, the school district helped approximately 460 children to have a holiday to remember.
Kevin’s Kids is once again in full swing mobilizing to fulfill another record number of gift wish list requests.
Burger and his wife Peggy were among the volunteers who were working hard behind the scenes at what school district officials refer to as “The North Pole” – better known as the Manchester Middle School.
It is where the couple and various volunteers worked to sort through all of the donated gifts being collected at senior communities and local businesses around town.
Along with the many people who donated items at various locations within the township, Kevin’s Kids was also present at the recently held Christmas in the Pines event held at Harry Wright Lake in Whiting. The next day, volunteers were back in action at the Hawk’s Craft Fair at the township high school.
