Mike Wolanin | The Republic Vehicles are loaded with gift boxes on delivery day for the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund at the cheer fund building in Columbus, Ind., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Vehicles are loaded with gift boxes on delivery day for the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund at the cheer fund building in Columbus, Ind., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.
Less glitz – more fellowship.
That’s what organizers wanted and achieved Saturday during the delivery day for the 94th annual Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund.
Instead of bringing in a reindeer and spraying artificial snow like they did last year, firefighters kept the decorations simple this year. Instead, they strived to take a little extra time to socialize with drivers and their passengers, co-chairman Ben Noblitt said.
“That’s what Christmas is all about,” Columbus Fire spokesman Capt. Mike Wilson said.
It turned out that taking time to be neighborly had little impact on the efficiency of the finely-tuned Cheer Fund operation. Volunteer drivers, who began delivering 1,500 gift boxes and more than 200 bicycles at 8 a.m., completed their work by 9:45 a.m.
While not as spectacular as Santa Claus, who does the whole world in one night, the deliveries of the Cheer Fund volunteers were still very impressive.
Ho-ho-ho
Speaking of Santa, he and Mrs. Claus made the first delivery of the morning to Candlelight Village to 1-year-old Brynlee Yates, who was just waking up when the right jolly old elf came into her home.
“Once she got to see Santa, Brynlee woke up,” Mrs. Claus said. “She was able to open up her gifts with him.
But the beard “that was white as the snow“made the little girl a bit suspicious, Santa’s wife said.
In contrast, Mrs. Claus provided a soft voice and maternal presence that tends to get very young children to warm up to the North Pole’s first couple, she said.
Santa and Mrs. Claus’ appearance was made by arrangement with Mark and Chrissy Riley.
Family time
For the second time in three years, the first driver in line was Mike Jaggers, accompanied by his daughter, Shannon Krebbs.
As they did in 2022, father and daughter arrived at 5:30 a.m. to be first in line. However, they had to sit in the dark for 45 minutes before Greg and Christy Eubanks, accompanied by their adult daughter, Amber, pulled up behind them.
Jaggers, 72, says he still gets a thrill by seeing the reactions of the young children after he and Shannon arrive to make a delivery.
“Watching their eyes open wide when they see a big old box and don’t know what’s inside of it,” Jaggers said. “Then, watching the parents, who are just so glad their kids got something.”
Christy Eubanks recalled last year, when she tried to hide a bike from a young boy. However, the youngster’s mother said it was fine to give him the present now, Eubanks said.
“It was cold and he had shorts on, but that boy kept riding that bike up and down the street,” Eubanks recalled. “It was so special to see the joy on his face when he realized he had his own bicycle.
Meeting the need
Many of the drivers, such as Greg Lovins, said they believe it’s important that parents or grandparents bring along their children on Cheer Fund deliveries, so the kids can see first-hand that not everybody has the same privileges they do.
“We know with inflation and everything going on with out country nowadays that the need was going to be there,” Lovins said. “I’m just thankful we do have the resources to help out those in need.”
Although the demand for holiday assistance is at a record-high in Bartholomew County, all six holiday charities with applicants screened by the United Way’s Community Action Center have the resources they need, center director Alicia Monroe said.
“Columbus always does this best,” Mayor Mary Ferdon said as she was helping to load gifts into vehicles. “I’m proud there are so many volunteers.”
Legacy
When the Cheer Fund was founded in 1930, one of the first caring firemen who helped collect $1,500 ($28,338 today when adjusted for inflation) for 50 needy children was Ralph Owens.
Owens’ great-grandson, Doug Hollenbeck, was a firefighter and EMT for 38 years with the Columbus Fire Department before his retirement.
When Hollenbeck was starting his career, all Cheer Fund activities took place at what was Fire Station #2 at 1304 Hutchins Ave. Today, the renovated building contains offices for the United Way of Bartholomew County. When Fire Station #2 moved to 2702 Central Ave., so did the Cheer Fund activity, Hollenbeck said. That building now houses Columbus Regional Hospital’s ambulance service.
While Fire Station #2 is now located at 2376 Arnold St., the Cheer Fund now has its own building on Verhulst Drive.
“We never had anything like this when we first started,” Hollenbeck said. “Now, we are organized. We’ve got boxes for the entire county. We have a line for cars and a line for trucks. It is so much more organized than it used to be. These guys do a great job keeping the tradition going.”
New leaders
Today, the Cheer Fund also has three co-chairman. Firefighters Ethan Yeley and Seth Burton have just finished their first year as one of the charity’s leaders, along with veteran co-chair Ben Noblitt.
Yeley said he’s has been working everyday for the Cheer Fund for the past three weeks. Between picking up gifts and boxing, as well as his firefighter duties, Yeley said the responsibilities have kept him very busy.
“However, it’s super-fun going shopping because we’ll end up lining up 12 carts in Walmart,” Yeley said. “Everybody will be staring at us and wondering what we’re doing. You get a lot of looks.”
Burton said he and Yeley were still shopping for bicycles the night before the deliveries are made.
“We went to three different Walmarts Friday,” Burton said. “Two in Columbus and the third in Seymour. And that’s the third time we’ve been to the Walmarts in town.
One of the youngest volunteers at the Cheer Fund headquarters Saturday was passing out candy and paperwork to the drivers. She was Charlotte Tuttle, who attends South Decatur Elementary School near Westport.
Charlotte, 8, says it feels good to help provide toys for kids from financially-challenged families.
