The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County celebrated the holiday season with its annual Holiday Party on Tuesday afternoon. Close to 70 members of the Club were treated to various activities, including arts and crafts, gift opening with Santa, and dooughnut decorating with representatives from Tim Hortons.

Jeannie Gallaway, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, said, “It’s honestly heartwarming, it’s very humbling to see the amount of people that come through and get these kids amazing gifts, and exactly what they wanted … To be here to see their faces and their reactions to this is just the most heartwarming thing in the world.”

Board members, staff members, and organizations and donors from the community all sponsor children from the Club by purchasing gifts from a list each child provides. This year, because of overwhelming support, every one of the members received gifts from their list, but so did their siblings who are either former or future members.

“We had so many sponsors who wanted to help and do things for them,” Gallaway said. “… It was just a really cool thing to be a part of. We just have a really giving community and people want to help.”

Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County members were smiling ear to ear as they opened their holiday gifts at the annual Holiday Party.

The club even referred donors to other local agencies in need, such as the United Way and Rural Ministries, because of how great the response from the community was. Two entire families from the Boys and Girls Club were adopted, with gifts provided for the whole family by the Gospel Church in Fredonia.

“It was an amazing feeling to be able to do that for them,” Gallaway said.

Holly Lanphere, a Store Manager from Tim Hortons, led the doughnut decorating station. Her children, Ivan and Ryan, are members of the Boys and Girls Club and participated in the festivities. Franchise owner Gina Kron also stopped by to witness the event. This past year, the Smile Cookie campaign at Kron’s Tim Hortons locations raised $9,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County.

Blasdell Pizza and Dupers Catering donated food for the event, while stuffed animal gifts were donated by Petsmart. Various games were also donated, along with socks from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation. The Club was also graciously granted a visit from Santa.

“It’s nice to see the kids be so receptive and appreciative for all the gifts,” Gallaway said.

Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County members were smiling ear to ear as they opened their holiday gifts at the annual Holiday Party.

Gallaway also noted the Club even had to turn away additional food donors this year because of how much food the Club received in the past.

“Thank you to the community. Thank you to the sponsors, our parents, my Board, just everybody who has come together to make this day so special for them,” Gallaway said. “You could see the smiles. You could see how genuine everyone was.”

One of the stations members of the Boys and Girls Club rotated between at the annual party was a doughnut decorating station with representatives from Tim Hortons.