UCARE has raised funds for nearly 10 years to purchase gifts for at least 80 children 12 years old and younger throughout the county each year for Christmas.
The organization consists of Union County employees who have funds deducted from their pay checks to help those in need and the group holds other various fundraisers throughout the year to supplement what county employees donate.
At a meeting Thursday, WBCU’s Chris Woodson asked if UCARE would like to be the recipient of the station’s 2009 Truck Full of Toys since the Salvation Army — the previous recipient of those toys the station collected — no longer has an office in Union County and he wants to be sure the toys collected as part of the event stay here.
Last year’s Truck Full of Toys collected nearly $10,000 in toys and Woodson hopes this year’s event will have the same response. He admitted, with times as difficult economically as they are right now, it could be less but the station hopes the community will come through.
“We want to be able to help as many people in Union County as we can,” he said.
Woodson offered the organization, if it was interested, a spot for its name on the truck carrying the donated toys and said the radio station would take care of promoting the event and UCARE’s purpose.
“If that’s something you guys would like to do, we’d like to do it with you,” he said, adding the partnership would only increase the impact UCARE and the station’s event have to those who need help over the holidays. “I’d love to do this with you guys if you let me.”
UCARE members wasted no time in telling the organization’s past-president Ronnie Wade, who moderated the meeting, they would have no problems partnering with Woodson and WBCU.
“Chris, we appreciate you doing that for us,” Wade said.
WBCU will do several remote broadcasts from local events in the coming weeks for Truck Full of Toys, including having the truck downtown during the Holiday Open House on Main Street slated for Thursday, Nov. 19. All toys collected as part of the event will be delivered to UCARE following the Union Christmas Parade on Dec. 13.
The only request Woodson made to UCARE was that it keep three or four reserve spots open for families who are in dire straits, who might not have registered to receive toys by the organization’s Nov. 30 deadline. Members present agreed, adding they try to do that each year anyway.
Wade said this will only allow his organization to give more during a holiday season when the economy isn’t the best.
UCARE has just a little more than $8,000 to start off the holiday season this year and members decided during Thursday’s meeting to use some of those funds to purchase 12 Nintendo Wii game systems for an estimated cost of $2,400 as part of a new fundraiser they will start this year.
UCARE’s 12 Days of Christmas will be a raffle event where people will have the chance to win one of those Wiis each day for 12 days leading up to Christmas.
Wade hopes the event will generate enough interest to pay back the organization for its expenditure of purchasing the systems plus more. He also is trying to get the gaming systems free or at a discounted price so it doesn’t cost the organization as much to do the fundraiser.
Raffle tickets for a chance to win one of the 12 Wiis will go on sale soon for $1 each or six for $5.
A silent auction for items donated by Dollar General and other sources also will begin today (Friday, Nov. 6) at the courthouse to raise funds for the organization. A similar event held last month with costumes donated by Disney raised nearly $1,000 for the organization.
UCARE also plans to be downtown during the Holiday Open House event later this month selling chicken stew, hot chocolate or other goodies. Courthouse employees also might host a bake sale that night.
Wade wants the organization to grow as well and put it to members whether or not they’d like to pursue adding city and state employees to the organization. Members agreed that adding those other entities to the organization could help it do more throughout the year and during the holidays.
Families with children ages 12 and under can fill out an application to receive toys this holiday season at the Department of Social Services office in Union through Nov. 30. Anyone who would like to volunteer or donate to UCARE is urged to contact the Union County Supervisor’s office.
Wade added anyone who knows someone who might be able to help people UCARE won’t be able to should let members of the organization know.
And UCARE also is open to volunteers to go shopping once children have been selected to receive benefits.
“Last year we didn’t have enough people to go shop,” Wade said. “And there are going to be more people in need this year than we have had in a while.”
With that need comes a greater opportunity for UCARE to help.
Wade told members since the Salvation Army moved its office to Spartanburg, now could be the time UCARE can get more involved.
“As the UCARE organization, we can kind of step up to the plate,” he said.
GET INVOLVED:
If you would like to donate time, funds or talents to Union County Aide and Relief Effort — or UCARE — contact Sue Cudd at (864) 429-1680 or the Union County Supervisor’s Office at (864) 429-1600.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
To be considered for some of the toys UCARE will collect this year be sure to fill out an application at the Department of Social Services by Monday, Nov. 30.
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