Washington Kansas KS

Washington Rotary Lights Up the Community

Gives Aid to Children

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was aglow with glittering Christmas tree lights spilling from the magnificent display windows at AG Management Services in Washington, Kansas. Volunteer workers worked like Santa’s elves to get ready for the Washington Rotary Club's Festival of Trees Auction. The event held annually each Christmas season, the Washington, Kansas Rotary Club auctions off donated and fully decorated Christmas trees, wreaths and swags. The auctioned items are contributed by local businesses, individuals and groups such as 4H clubs, FFA, FCCLA, Washington County HS Cheerleaders and more.

Washington Rotary Club donates the proceeds from the annual auction to a local charity. This year’s recipient was the Backsnack Program.

The Backsnack Program, according to its local coordinator, Renee Schmidt, “is a program through Harvester's Community Food Network in Kansas City, Missouri. The program assists children who may not be able to receive adequate nutrition when at home. Food is sent home with each child on Friday and contains enough meals to feed them through the weekend, as well as several snacks. This program is provided free of charge to families and schools. The additional money donated through the community is used to purchase additional food such as fresh fruit, oatmeal, pasta meals, etc. to send home with the children. Multi-vitamins, books and toys have also been purchased in the past.”

The $2,070 raised through the 2009 Rotary's Festival of Trees Auction, will enable the Backsnack Program to feed the needy children of Washington.

While every volunteer and the many sponsors who worked to make the auction a success are important, the contributions of a few are noteworthy. Special kudos go to the PEO, who donated and decorated one eight-foot Christmas Tree in a color scheme, suggestive perhaps, of Kansas State purple. It sold for $200.

Special recognition goes to Pete Sherlock of AG Management Services, who donated the use of the building and it’s near full length windows to showcase most of the trees to sidewalk traffic prior to the event; and to Raymond Bott, who donated auctioneering services.

And last, but definitely not least, are the enthusiastic volunteers from the Washington Rotarians that organized the Festival of Tree Auction: Laramie Bott, Emily Dragastin, Libby Hiltgen and Christy Metz.

If you missed out on this year’s auction, mark your calendar for 2010 Black Friday when Washington, Kansas will once again be glowing with Christmas tree lights and abuzz with volunteer activity as the Rotarians prepare for the annual Festival of Trees Auction.

 Washington Kansas Rotary Web Page