'Newsies' ready to help kids

12/7/2006

THE snow that briefly blanketed our area this week, glistening on trees and lawns, was the very picture of winter's beauty. It also was a reminder of the frigid temperatures and chill winds that cause us to wrap up at this time of year.

And as such, it was the perfect backdrop to one of this community's most enduring - and effective - charity drives: The Old Newsboys Goodfellow Association's annual charity paper sale, which takes place tomorrow.

For many kids in our area, frosty air and snow on the ground aren't cause for celebration, they present a problem: how to stay warm and dry. It is to those kids that the Old Newsies dedicate their efforts, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide them with coats and shoes.

Chairman of the 77th annual sale is Toledo Fire Chief Mike Bell, who observes that this is a Toledo tradition. It also is one of the city's finest.

Last year the Old Newsboys raised almost $220,000, even though the drive took place in bad weather. They then spent $152,000 this year to help more than 3,200 children in over 59 area schools with coats, shoes, and emergency clothing. In addition, over 320 families received more than $8,000 in emergency food.

This year, the Newsboys have set an ambitious goal of $230,000, but we are confident of their ability to get the job done, and have faith in the people of our city to do a little bit more this year to help needy kids.

The Old Newsboys assist with more than coats and shoes. They fund community service programs to help school children - almost $14,000 was spent in that way this year- and scholarships to high school seniors who otherwise wouldn't have a chance to go to college.

The Old Newsboys are a 100 percent charity. Every cent raised tomorrow by the hundreds of volunteers who fan out across the city goes to help children. The administrative costs are covered by dues paid by the Old Newsboys themselves.

The organization is a credit to the Toledo area, the embodiment of this community's generosity of spirit. Tomorrow, Toledoans can display that generosity by purchasing a charity paper to help a child.