The Eagle-Garden City Rotary Club's annual Christmas party for Pierce Park students evolved to focus on giving rather than receiving this year. Twenty-one 5th-grade students helped us by wrapping gifts for 42 children ranging in age from infants to late teens. First names and ages were given to us by Family Advocates, after which club members purchased cold-weather items like knit hats and gloves, candy canes and $5 McDonald gift cards to give to the children. Pierce Park 5th graders wrote holiday greetings to the gift recipients and then wrapped them in tissue paper and put them into festive gift bags. In the past, teachers at Pierce Park Elementary selected kindergarten through third-grade students who may not get Christmas presents at home. Those children came to our club meeting, where Santa Claus handed out gifts and let them pet one of his reindeer. COVID-19 changed that tradition.
The school's Panther Pledge promotes being kind, respectful and responsible, as well as showing perseverance. To honor this pledge, Pierce Park and Eagle-Garden City Rotary Club leaders revamped our annual tradition to make it about giving, not receiving. So we scheduled an hour on Thursday, Dec. 9, for Mr. Fackrell's 5th-grade students and Eagle-Garden City club members to meet in the Pierce Park gymnasium and wrap gifts for 42 children receiving services through Boise's Family Advocates organization. Family Advocates supplied the first names and ages of these children, and club members purchased knitted hats, gloves, McDonald's gift cards, candy canes, tissue paper and holiday gift bags. Pierce Park students chose from among several fun shapes on which to write holiday wishes to the gift recipients. Then they bundled everything up in tissue and put the gifts in holiday bags. The bags filled club president Linda Gerber's car completely full. But she delivered the gifts to Family Advocates that afternoon so they could bring joy to children in need this Christmas. 
The students from Pierce Park certainly succeeded in meeting their pledge to be kind and respectful. As a club, we loved seeing their enthusiasm and creativity. And we appreciated all their hard work. We look forwrd to similar opportunities to collaborate with these young people and encourage service to others. Check out the photos we took of the gift-wrapping event!