Bob Shiles
Staff writer
LUMBERTON — The spirit of Christmas hung heavy in the air Saturday as about 100 children from across Robeson County took part in the annual Christmas party held at Parkview Activity Center.
The children and adult members of their families were treated to a breakfast that featured pancakes and sausage, joined in the singing of Christmas carols and made presentations about what Christmas means to them. Each child received a present at the end.
“We want the children to get a clearer understanding of what Christmas is really all about,” said Lori Washington, the center’s coordinator and organizer of Saturday’s party. “We want them to know that Christmas is not just about gifts. That’s why we have them come up and tell everyone what Christmas means to them.”
Several children took the microphone and spoke of what they believe Christmas is about.
“It’s all about God,” said one child.
“Being with family,” said another.
“Christmas is the time to celebrate Jesus’ birth,” said yet a third child.
Washington told the children they should be happy with what they get for Christmas. She said there are many children who don’t have even the necessities of life, including such things as “soap, water and lights.”
“All they have is the roof over their head,” she said.
“You might not get everything you want, but that’s OK,” Washington told the children. “Sometimes God doesn’t want you to have something because you are not ready to receive it yet.”
Gloria McDuffie stood up to let folks know that this Christmas is really special to her.
“My son died at the age of 21 six years ago, and since then I have had no interest in Christmas,” said McDuffie, a Lumberton resident. “This is the first year in so many years that Christmas means anything to me.”
McDuffie said she has learned how to appreciate life, family and sharing with others what blessings she has had during her lifetime.
“I like to donate gifts to children in need,” she said. “This year I’ve spent $2,000 to $3,000 on gifts for others, in addition to what I needed to spend just for my family.”
McDuffie has three children in addition to the one who died of a heart attack six years ago. She also has nine grandchildren.
During brief remarks, Washington also had a message for parents. She told them that although it is fine to want to give their children the best of everything, it is not something they should be ashamed of if they cannot. She said that as parents, they need to be “mindful” of what they buy for their children and how it will affect the lives of their families later on.
Washington said she knows of parents who are giving their 4-year-old children iPads for Christmas.
“Now what can a 4-year-old do with an iPad?” she asked. “The next thing you know the child has broken it and you are struggling after Christmas to pay for something that costs about $500.”
The celebration became somber as a brief candlelight ceremony was held to honor the children who were killed Friday during a gunman’s rampage through an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Twenty children at the party each held a lit candle in remembrance of the 20 Connecticut students who died.
“This was senseless killing of children,” Washington said as she led those at the party in a brief prayer.
The big moment for many of the children came at the end of the day’s activities when each received a gift. The gifts were supplied through McCormick Chapel AME, a Lumberton church.
Lucille Barnes, a member of the church, said the gifts were collected from across North Carolina by the Women’s Missionary Society and the Young People’s Department of AME’s North Carolina Conference.
“This is the first time that these gifts have been distributed to children in Lumberton,” Barnes said.
Yall are Whineing about tax dollars because kids are receiving gifts to be happy on Christmas Day. Even though lots of the gifts are donated
What a shame!!
Yall should be whineing about the hundreds of $600 hammers the pentagon purchased and the $120 muffins that were at bushs many tea partys.
Only 2% of tax dollars collected go towards welfare.
Look at the percentage of tax dollars going towards the Space Shuttle, The space program, War, people's salarys on Capital Hill, the free health care they all get and their familys as well. Even though they have the montary means to afford care.
Lets look closer to home for a second.
Look at the concilmen/women that are in RobCo their robbing tax dollars as well...getting paid doing nothing..no whineing about them either.
So as I opened..I will close..You tax paying Whiners need to pick your battles!!!
It's clear, you dislike little children, who one day may grow to become an astronaut. You hate children...
This is how the left does it....
I try to present my message as best I can from a high-school drop-out approach and common sense. I can't pen it the way it should be, but I use regular words to get my point across so the locals can understand. Sometimes you have to get on their level so they'll understand. My brain is fertile with information from a life of challenges. If I could only put my words together like BBBD does I'd be dangerous.
Do you really think that someone will just let you walk up to them or their child/children and disrespect them?
Sounds like you're on a Quest for Death.
Your comments are always about hate and always off the wall. As if you're living in a perfect world. As if anyone who's in need of a little help you feel the need to dog them out. But you continue to claim that you're fair and non prejudice expressing your wharped views in this forum.
You claim here many times that you're "well to do"..and that you have a family.If you were to try and show them the Joy of Christmas the Joy of putting smiles on little kids faces who may not have had anything you all may enjoy it..even you Ross.
But instead you want to make little kids "run and cry" That's a straight PUNK move!!!
And will get you hurt.
Ross If you're feeding your kids those Stupid Ideas of people and life that you have...you're setting them up for failure.
Try this..Let your wife and kids read your post and see what they think about it.
How bout this one, wake up Christmas morning and unwrap a "mom and a dad", something these kids have NEVER had.....
PS. And I ain't "well to do".... Parents divorced when I was 2, raised in a trailer park, a "minority", dropped out of high school, was a dad at 17, been busted,broke,cussed,shot,spit on, and was told I was a democrat(must be, right?). But, I chose not to listen to people tell me "it's ok Ross, there is nothing wrong with your life, it's normal,it's ok, it's fine, don't worry......" Yeah right, if I'd listened to that advice I'd be a typical Robesonian who chose to give up.... but I didn't.
Merry Christmas shiprince, you sound mad.
Obama, what a man with class...... The worst president this country has ever had. Enjoy....
I will always love my country, but I dispise a democrat and will make it my point to ruin their day as often as I possibly can. And I'm good at it. So be warned democrats, I will embarrass you and make fun of your children(see little jhonny run and cry)
This is why I don't donate anything to groups to hand out to people I don't know. If I choose to help, it's after I've investigated and cleared the reciever........