Kathleen Donahue

Angel Tree Tags allow children around the community to get clothes, gifts and more.

Since Oct. 1, Key Club has assisted the Salvation Army in the annual Angel Tree Tags charity event to help children in need. The event entails students receiving tags showing the wishlists of less fortunate children in the community, and giving them the opportunity to buy the desired items.

“With the Angel Tree Tags, the Salvation Army collects gifts for needy children,” said Kathleen Donahue, Key Club adviser. “Every year, we get these tags from them which specify what size clothing they want, or it may be a wishlist item like toys, and we give these out to classes, clubs and sports teams to do as a charitable donation.”

Until Nov. 27, Key Club will be taking donations from students who received the tags, and will then deliver them to the Salvation Army.

“The tags are due to us on Monday, Nov. 27,” said Megan Streid, Key Club adviser. “And then we get two to three carloads over to Salvation Army.”

Participants are requested not to wrap any of the donations so parents of the children can do it themselves when the gifts arrive at the Salvation Army facility.

In order to participate in the event, students can contact Donahue or Streid.

“I would say you can be a member of any club at all, you can contact [me] or Ms. Streid,” said Donahue. “We have these tags for which you can get as much or as little as you need on there, and you can even give $25 gift cards.”

Key Club is part of Kiwanis, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services for children in need, which drives Key Club’s participation in Angel Tree Tags.

“We are part of Kiwanis,” said Donahue. “And their mandate is to help the children of the community, so in this case, our job in Key Club is to help children in need in our community.”