Holiday with a Hero
My family and I have participated in Angels Trees during the holiday season for years. When the boys were little, they chose a child off a tree (usually a boy about their same age) and then I let them be the decision maker on the gifts. As they have gotten older, they choose their own angels and do the shopping and wrapping but it is a tradition that we share as a family.
When we decided to participate in Holiday with a Hero last year as an office, I thought it would be much the same as the Angel Tree experience. With $100 each to spend I assumed we would have 200 kids and Heroes in the toy section, however, what we encountered was amazing! We ended up in the food section buying huge bottles of peanut butter and loaves of bread, choosing scarves and gloves for grandparents, and household items for parents.
We did end up in the toy section but it was for brothers, sisters, cousins and friends – very little for the children themselves. What was left over was spent on undergarments, warm clothes, and shoes that they put on immediately because the ones they were wearing were too small. They also chose pillows and blankets, as they had none of their own. With their intentions so driven on others, items were purchased by the Heroes themselves for their child so they did have something of their own to open on Christmas morning. I was both a bit embarrassed and humbled by my assumptions.
Each of our employees took away something different as we weren’t all shoppers, there were also wrappers and baggers who ensured that the correct packages got to the children’s’ schools. We have continued the Hero spirit throughout the year by paying to wear jeans once a month so we can sponsor children in addition to the office’s generous donation.
At Advanced Dentistry by Design, we are proud to be called “Heroes” and look forward to many more years of partnership with this worthy organization. Happy Holidays from Dr. Clint Euse, Dr. Kelly Euse, Dr. Randy Wright, and Dr. Matt Lisenby and staff!