Campus Honor Club Brings Christmas Joy To 45 Area Children
(Press Release 12-11-07)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

This year, the Eastern Oklahoma State College Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor club exceeded the number of toys donated last year in their annual Christmas Toy Drive and it was an exciting project to the college students who had a chance to get involved according to the club sponsor.

“Santa has made a quick stop,” Brenda Kennedy, Eastern business instructor and PTK sponsor said. “A wonderful Christmas is going to be enjoyed by more than 45 children this year because of our students’ hard work.”

“Its a wonderful thing for college students to see the needs of others and want to help in some small way.”

This year's toy drive collected nearly 500 presents as well as money donations.

 “When the college students get in there and see all of the toys and begin to wrap, they really do get excited about the holiday and what they are doing,” Kennedy said.

Nineteen Eastern families will benefit from the campaign and all remaining toys will be donated to various Angel Tree projects and area youth shelters.

In what has become an annual tradition, Phi Theta Kappa students got together during finals week for one big ‘wrapping party.’ With more than 20 students, faculty and staff participating, the get together got so big that students had to spread out into the hallways of Mitchell Hall to get all of their presents wrapped and in order.

“It has just gotten better every year,” Kennedy said. “The overwhelming appreciation from the families that are helped is all that you need to know that this is a good thing. It is a tradition that we want to continue if at all possible.”

Caption info:
Kalah Smith, left, from Canadian, the PTK Vice President of Service; Mandy Atkinson, Wilburton, VP of Leadership; Eric Shaw, Antlers, PTK President and Kara Haile, Savanna, VP of Fellowship join more than 15 other Eastern Oklahoma State College students to help wrap nearly 500 gifts donated during the annual Phi Theta Kappa honor club toy drive.