By Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
For Christmas, many children are getting toys and electronics. A child’s wish list often features plenty of things he or she wants but doesn’t need. But the Plant City Junior Woman’s Club is bringing some holiday cheer in the form of necessity.
Club member Lisa Rhodes and five James Hardie Building Products employees played the part of Santa Dec. 10, at Bryan Elementary School, as they delivered 40 pairs of new tennis shoes to students.
Children were called out of class to come to the multipurpose room. There, they sat in a chair as Engineer Pius Ogolawa, Maintenance Manager Rick Ysasi, General Foreman Joe Rivera and Operations Manager Scott Monahan measured the children’s feet to double-check the size and fit of their shoes.
“You wouldn’t think they’d enjoy coming here, because they’re all big and tough, but they love doing this,” Diane Miller, of the human resources department at James Hardie, said.
James Hardie has partnered with the Plant City Junior Woman’s Club and sponsored shoes for Bryan Elementary for about 10 years. The club gets a list from school guidance counselors and social workers of students in need.
“I like seeing them get excited when they get new shoes,” Monahan said.
Indeed, the students had big smiles on their faces as they took their shoes, which came in all colors and styles, back to class. Some had colored shoestrings, others sporty stripes emblazoned along the sides. All students also received a pair of socks. This is the first year the Plant City Woman’s Club has picked out the shoes for Bryan Elementary. In the past, James Hardie employees have done the shopping.
“We go and invade Payless,” Miller said.
The club and company schedule the shoe drive around the holidays for a reason. They want the students to know someone cares and to have a new gift.
“Last year, a little boy came in and wouldn’t speak and had the biggest eyes — all scared,” Miller said. “When he got his shoes, he wanted to put them back in the box. We asked him why, and he wanted to put them under the tree so he would have a Christmas present. It touched me.”
“It’s a good time of year to give back if you can,” Monahan said. “We really enjoy it.”
James Hardie also sponsors many other community projects throughout the year, including building houses and building handicap-accessible features to homes for disabled veterans. James Hardie also is funding a trip for a man from MacDonald Training Center who wants to go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom before he becomes completely blind.
“We like doing community-involvement type of things,” Monahan said.
Bryan Elementary is lucky enough to have a corporate sponsor, but the Plant City Woman’s Club also raises funds to help the other elementary schools in Plant City, Dover and Turkey Creek.
Profits from the Little Miss Plant City event and the Florida Strawberry Festival’s Baby Parade go to fund this and other club charities. Next year, the club will organize its first golf tournament at Walden Lake Golf and Country Club.
“There’s a lot of need out there — especially with the economy,” Rhodes said. “There’s probably more of a need now. I wish we could do more.”
In addition to the shoe drive, the 30-member club also adopts a school, which they visit three times per year to complete projects with the students. At the end of the year, the club donates a book to each student to promote reading.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.