My mother-in-law recently passed away and we are attending her upcoming memorial service. She was, and is, such a central figure in our lives. Even though she is no longer here, she continues to guide us. My daughters wrote some short stories about their memories and experiences with their grandma. Many of their memories centered on Christmas, the toys, the excitement, but mostly the people they shared it with.
Every December, we travel to Fort Peck to personally hand out gifts to every child on the Reservation.
We don’t view this as an obligation, a burden, or something we have to do.
We do it because it’s the right thing to do and it’s our privilege and honor to do so!
We hold gift raising through the months of October and November. People give from all over the US, Canada, and beyond. Every participant puts their life on hold to make the journey to the Reservation.
Many bring their own children to establish the family ritual of being humanitarian, seeing other’s needs, and taking action by helping the Fort Peck kids.
They don’t get compensated monetarily; they receive love in all so many ways. Just seeing the glee and the smiles of these kids receiving their gifts is worth the trip out!
This couldn’t be done without the help of teachers, administrators, Kenny Smoker, HPDP, Dr. Megan Cartillar, parents, and volunteers to make everything as efficient and seamless as possible.
Believe it or not but it takes hundreds of man hours to coordinate the gifts. We work with the teachers to narrow them down to the perfect gift for every child.
Many other groups donate toys and gifts to the kids, but like my daughters, they remember the people they share it with.
Each kid receives a gift with their personal name on it, not: girl aged 11.
Being there in the winter and the summer and having a full time Chiropractor (Dr. Megan Cartillar) makes all the difference to these kids.
Here’s to the best Christmas ever!