The New Hope Parent Teacher Organization turned the commons area at New Hope High School into a Christmas wonderland for area children Saturday morning, complete with the Grinch and Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The event included a breakfast for the kids, an opportunity to write letters to Santa, a crafting table to make ornaments, games and, of course, appearances by The Grinch and Santa.
PTO President Jenny Carter said she had the idea for the event after having trouble finding local activities for her kids last year.
“I have three little ones and last year we had to go to Millport, Alabama, for pictures with Santa,” she said. “We were kind of brainstorming for fundraiser ideas, and we came up with this.”
Billy Duke from West Point played Santa, and Amy Duke played Mrs. Claus. New Hope sophomore Ty Younger played The Grinch, while PTO members ran the various activities.
The PTO supports all three schools – elementary, middle and high school – at the New Hope campus. The money raised Saturday will go towards activities for students and teachers, she said.
“We do monthly teacher treats,” she said. “We treat 300 teachers each month. We also try to do Spirit Fridays for the students and the winners get a party at the end. We also do popsicles for the kids the week of Christmas.”
This was the first year for the Christmas fundraiser, Carter said, and all 150 tickets were pre-sold.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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