In a festive event to help bring the community together and spread the spirit of giving, the Key Club hosted its 18th annual stocking stuffing party at the Oviedo Mall. Over 100 students attended on Dec. 3, making it the largest gathering in the event’s history.
Head organizer Kim Carthon has been the driving force behind this event for the past 15 years. She wanted to emphasize the core motivation behind this event and highlight the essential role it plays in fostering a connected community. What makes this initiative special is not just the festive spirit but its outreach to various organizations and communities.
The event featured groups from different schools and Girl Scout troops filling stockings with toys, candy, notebooks and toiletries. A total of 360 stockings were donated to the police departments in Oviedo, Sanford, and Casselberry, 110 stockings were donated to Mathew’s Hope family homeless shelter, and 120 stockings were donated to a Veterans nursing home in South Carolina.
“There’s just a need for the community and we keep adding police departments to it so that it’s a good outreach to help police officers, so they are not always the bad guy,” Carthon said.
Carthon expressed her favorite part of the event is seeing the joy on the faces of the children that attend and the families that she helps.
“I organize this every year simply because it’s the right thing to do,” Carthon said. “I love seeing all the kids that participate and knowing we are doing a good thing.”
Sophomore Lavinia Waschkies helped spread holiday cheer at the party. Throughout the event, Waschkies took time to help write Christmas cards and fill stockings with presents.
“I think this will really help [families] during Christmas to not feel so alone and have more fun during the holidays,” Waschkies said. “This event really helps other people that work hard for our community to show our appreciation. It’s really nice to know that I am helping people by doing this.”
