Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of the interior of Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund building as they gear up to deliver gift boxes in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Nov.14, 2022.
Final preparations are underway for delivering the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund gift boxes, with delivery day set for Saturday.
In its 92nd year, volunteers have returned to the Christmas effort in a limited role of packing boxes this year, which concluded on Dec. 7
Distribution begins at 8 a.m. in the Cheer Fund headquarters at 2674 Verhulst St. in the Columbus Air Park, north of the Evolution Training Center.
Last year, the Cheer Fund was initially asked to assist 989 children, co-chairman Ben Noblitt said. This year, the number of young children scheduled to receive a gift box rose from 800 last Monday to nearly 900 a few days later, Noblitt said.
Since there are always special circumstances, the number of distributed gift boxes will likely rise above what is delivered this Saturday, Volunteer Action Center Director Alicia Monroe said.
Her organization manages the Holiday Hotline, which determines what each child in a family needs and what holiday charity can best provide that need. Monroe also has a database that assures nobody abuses the goodwill of donors by seeking assistance from multiple nonprofits.
In 2021, the value of the toys and other items in each gift box was estimated at about $150, although Noblitt said the Cheer Fund’s ability to buy in bulk brought the actual cost down to about $100.
While the arrival of COVID-19 brought an end to used toy donations, that doesn’t seem to be a problem.
“We’re doing pretty good on both monetary and toy donations,” Noblitt said. In fact, the co-chairman has not received any reports about shoppers being unable to find requested toys.
“We’ve taken a new approach that if we see a certain item on the wish list, and we can’t find it on the shelf or in our collections, we will go out and buy five or 10 of those items,” Noblitt said.
In terms of donations of bicycles and toys, most individuals and corporations contribute immediately after Thanksgiving and through the first week of December, he said. Noblitt said monetary donations usually come in closer to Christmas, as contributors are looking for tax strategies before the end of the year.
Demand for Cheer Fund assistance has been extremely high on some years. For example, 2,040 children received gift boxes during what was called the Great Recession of 2008.
There have been number of positive developments that ensure every child in need will receive a box of holiday happiness. For example, there is the growth of other holiday gift charities that lift much of the heavy burden off the Cheer Fund. They include the Community Center of Hope Angel Tree, Shop With A Cop, St. Bartholomew’s Giving Tree and Toys For Tots. The leaders of the Cheer Fund say all those campaigns deserve community support.
But the biggest help in recent years has come from online donations arranged with Amazon, Walmart and Target. When first introduced, online contributions immediately increased gift donations by 25%, Noblitt said.
Online shopping allows individuals to go to the website of participating retailers, choose a toy in their price range among a list created for the Cheer Fund, buy one or more items, and have them shipped straight to the Columbus Fire Department’s administrative offices at 11th and Washington streets.
One thing that surprises a number of residents is that the Cheer Fund is no longer exclusively a charity of the Columbus Fire Department. It is a philanthropic organization operated by the public, Noblitt said.
The charity has also gained volunteers outside the city limits after rural fire departments pick up gift boxes this Friday and deliver them to recipients in their jurisdiction.
But the true brilliance of the Cheer Fund is that it has remained an all-volunteer organization that makes it simple for anyone to make the difference in the life of a child, United Way of Bartholomew County Executive Director Mark Stewart said.
“Firefighters, children and Christmas all hold a really special place in the hearts of people,” Stewart said. “The Cheer Fund provides a tangible way to bring all three of those things together.”
For the third year, volunteers will be asked to remain inside their vehicles Saturday as others load up cars and trucks and go over the delivery route with the driver, Noblitt said. The charity has discovered that lines move at a much faster pace when driver and passengers don’t leave their vehicle to socialize.
This year, it will be up to individual drivers and loaders whether they want to wear face masks or face shields inside the Cheer Fund headquarters or while delivering gifts, Noblitt said.
So how long will the deliveries last Saturday?
“We’ve got it down pretty close to a science right now,” Noblitt said. “If nothing unexpected happens, all deliveries will be made in about one hour and 26 minutes.”
When the Cheer Fund headquarters were within the Doug Otto United Way Center, there was only one way in and out of the warehouse area. But the Verhulst Street location allows cars and trucks to come in one side of the building, get loaded, and leave quickly on the other side, Noblitt explained.
In order to create a warm holiday atmosphere, the firefighters take pride in coming up with fun attractions and decorations that, in the past few years, have ranged from a big candy cane arch to a large Santa Claus on top of a nearby tower.
“We’re still looking at ideas for this year, but I guarantee you it will be festive,” Noblitt said.
