How’s Free Sound?

Hope you’ve been good this semester, because Santa’s coming to campus.

The News-Register and the Journalism Club will host the second annual Santa Bucks program Dec. 2.

Every student will receive $30 in Santa Bucks play money to shop either for themselves or for others.

“It’s like a huge flea market,” said Journalism Club sponsor Kathleen Stockmier. “We’ve got something for everyone -clothes, shoes, purses, toys and food. And it’s all FREE.”

Last year’s event was a huge success. Six hundred pounds of canned food was given away, as well as an abundance of clothing. Two hundred students benefited from the program. One student was able to save Christmas for her children, while another, having lost her job, was grateful to have groceries.

Others were simply delighted with the whole idea. “Events like this one are what we need these days,” said one grateful recipient of last year’s event. Many students even donated their money for others to use.

Gently worn clothing in all sizes from faculty and staff has been pouring into the newspaper office, room A-260.

“We’ve received two to three times more stuff than last year and I haven’t even gotten to the canned food yet,” said Lisa “Lolly” Arden, the program’s coordinator. She has been working year-round to make the event possible and is quite pleased with how it is coming along.

Apparel, accessories, toys and non-perishable foods will be accepted up until the day of the event.

Santa Bucks will take place in front of the old library from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., in order to include students who take night classes. Students will be required to show their student I.D. to acquire the play money, and they can also register for door prizes. Drawings will be held for Wal-Mart gift cards.

A treat for the children and the child at heart will be a visit from St. Nick, played by our very own Joe Bishop, faculty member of Liberal Arts and president of the Faculty Administration. Journalism Club members will take photos of children on Santa’s lap.

For many years, Bishop played Santa for a Hallmark Store in Allen, several charities and for the Adopt-A-Family Program here on campus.

“After I heard about the wonderful program put together last year, I wanted to help in any way I could,” Bishop said.

Santa Bucks promises to be a long-standing tradition here at North Lake.

The event is absolutely FREE with FREE cups of hot chocolate to be handed out to chase the winter chills.

So come, shop, drink and be merry. And did we mention that it’s FREE?