Tag-A-Gift Program

Needs Quick Return For Depot Day

By Shannon Hicks

Newtown Junior Women’s Club launched its annual Tag-A-Gift program this week.

Each year around this time, NJWC receives a wish list from The Newtown Fund. This list is anonymous, with just the child’s age, gender, and gift wish on it. Each child’s wish is attached to a handmade ornament, which is then hung on a tree.

The wish lists are part of the communitywide opportunity to work with The Newtown Fund to provide holiday gifts for less fortunate children in town.

“Very modest things are being asked for again this year,” said Meri Jitsukawa, who with fellow NJWC member Charlene Calandro is co-chairing this year’s Tag-A-Gift Project for the Juniors.

“Popular requests include Twilight and Harry Potter items,” said Mrs Calandro. “Classics like basketballs, footballs and trucks, and Transformers, they’re all being asked for, too.”

Individuals, families, or companies may choose as many tags as they like and purchase gifts for those children.

This year, the ornaments can be found at Newtown Savings Bank in Sand Hill Plaza and on Main Street, Union Savings Bank (Church Hill Road at Commerce Road), and Wesley Learning Center in Sandy Hook. The trees were placed in the four locations on November 24.

The club is careful to make sure all children in a family are taken care of equally. In addition to the gifts that come in, the women will go into their club’s budget to supplement gifts.

“Last year someone donated a bike for one child in a family, and the club purchased a bike for the other child,” said Mrs Calandro. “That’s what we do. We match up so that siblings are treated equally.”

Anyone interested in taking an ornament should return the unwrapped gift to the location where the tag was picked up by Monday, December 14.

That will give the ladies in NJWC the time they need to wrap everything and deliver the gifts to Sandy Hook School in time for Depot Day, which this year will be on Saturday, December 19. Club members will hold their annual gift wrapping party at Newtown Meeting House on Thursday, December 17. The wrapping will begin at 7:30, and anyone who wants to join the fun is welcome to join in.

For additional information contact Charlene Calandro at 203-270-6569 or Meri Jitsukawa, 203-270-3767.