Last year, the Kirklin Christian Church Preschool used the Oktoberfest celebration in Kirklin to aid victims in the Houston area that were ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.
Come Saturday, October 13, at the same Oktoberfest event, they hope to duplicate the same results with donations from their lemonade stand going to Operation Christmas Child, which is a mission that packs shoe boxes with gifts for children. That lemonade stand will be open at the Kirklin Flea Market Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the Old Masonic Lodge downtown.
“It (last year) went really well,” said Kirklin Christian Church Preschool Director Heidi Yeager. “We raised almost $1,000 to send to that preschool in Houston. We were able to get everything on their Amazon wish list. I’m hoping to use the money this year to allow Catherine (who is in charge) to purchase more items for the boxes or to help pay the shipping costs. It costs $9 per box to ship overseas.”
Operation Christmas Child has boxes shipped overseas to poverty stricken areas in other countries. The boxes are handed out to the children and they are also told about the good news of Jesus.
“We chose Operation Christmas Child because our church is already involved with Operation Christmas Child,” said Yeager. “I thought this would be another way to bring the kids into the church for a mission that our church already supports and to raise money for it.”
Yeager added the Harness Family is one who is in charge of Operation Christmas Child. More specifically, their seventh-grade daughter has really taken the program over as her own.
“She organized the packing of the boxes last year and she is organizing our packing party this year,” said Yeager. “Last weekend, she had church members come in and make dolls that will be packed into those boxes.”