Published: December 01, 2008 09:14 am      

Shopping under way for community’s ‘Angels’

From Staff Reports

The Christmas shopping season is under way, and that includes people generously shopping for a child or children selected from one of the Tommy's Angel Trees that went up last week at several local merchants.

Tommy's Angel Tree is an annual project coordinated by the Mineral Wells Volunteer Fire Department. It is named for former MWVFD member and Mineral Wells police Sgt. Tommy Parker who was killed 15 years ago fighting a house fire in Mineral Wells. He was known for purchasing Christmas gifts for underprivileged children he knew in the community and delivering them. Through Tommy's Angel Tree, his memory and unselfish Christmas spirit lives on.

Angel Tree Guardian Steve Perdue said it's important to remember that while many of us will enjoy a nice Christmas with presents under the tree, many local children face the possibility of not having presents to open Christmas morning. Already 272 children have been signed up to have their cards placed on one of the Angel Trees, and two more sign up dates remain.

“One of the sad facts, however, is that not all of our citizens will have gifts under the Christmas tree,” said Perdue, on behalf of all the Angel Tree guardians. “We are working to alleviate some of that poverty in our midst. Angel Tree is a Mineral Wells project. It is not a fire department project. It is the community involvement that makes this program the success that it is.

“Mineral Wells is a caring community and that caring shows through in so many ways.

We invite you to be a part of this community project,” he said.

How you can help

There are several ways to take part in Tommy's Angel Tree.

One way is to pick an angel off the trees located at the downtown Dollar General, Brazos Factory Outlet, Wal-Mart, First State Bank and Citibank. Shop for that angel and take those gifts to the Mineral Wells Fire Department or leave them at the store where you purchased them for pick up by an Angel Tree guardian.

Gifts need to be purchased before Dec. 15 so that they can be wrapped and delivered on Dec. 20.

Help wrap and deliver

Anyone who wants to assist in gift delivery is asked to be at the Old Goodyear Building, 300 S. Oak Ave., at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20.

All are welcome to participate in the delivery and in the wrapping of the gifts. Gift-wrapping

parties will be announced soon in the Mineral Wells Index.

Make a donation

You may wish to make a donation so that the angels who are not selected from the trees can also share in the joy of receiving Christmas gifts. Our goal is to provide each Angel at minimum with the toy of their choice, a pair of shoes and a set of clothes.

Monetary donations can be mailed to Tommy's Angel Tree, P.O. Box 832, Mineral Wells, TX 76068.

Angel Tree Pageant

You can take part in the annual Diamond Miss Angel Tree Beauty Pageant on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lamar Elementary School. The pageant is open to boys and girls ages newborn to 35 months and 36 months to 18 years old. Proceeds benefit Tommy's Angel Tree. For more information, contact Marilyn Wilson at (940) 325-4937.

Sign ups

The last two Angel Tree sign up dates are this Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., for underprivileged children of Palo Pinto County, newborn to 12 years, at the old Goodyear Building, 300 S. Oak Ave. (next to Mineral Wells Fire Department). Please bring picture identification for parent, birth certificates (original or certified), children's Social Security card and proof of income.