ABATE brings Christmas to Head Start kids

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Every child should receive a present for Christmas.

That’s what the Jackson County American Bikers Aimed Toward Education believes.

On Thursday evening at First United Methodist Church in Seymour, 98 kids — 49 boys and 49 girls — met Santa and received gifts at the annual ABATE Christmas party for the Jackson County Head Start program.

The 28th annual event presents gifts to 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds involved in Head Start and their siblings.

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ABATE is a not-for-profit safety, educational, charitable and advocacy motorcyclist organization that aims to promote safety, protect rights and help others.

The ABATE chapter started purchasing gifts 41 years ago.

Each child received a toy costing around $30 as well as a stocking with other goodies.

Everything was free to the families that attended.

"It’s for the children that might not be getting Christmas," said Bryan Layton, Jackson County representative for ABATE of Indiana. "There were some people I talked to tonight that weren’t going to have anything under their tree."

Beverly Deaton brought her grandson, Landon Evans, 4, to the event.

"It’s just lovely," Deaton said. "Some of the parents can barely make ends meet. This gives the children a lot. They know that someone loves them. It makes me happy to see this."

After opening his gift, which was an assortment of different types of trucks, Evans made a new friend in 3-year-old Cameron Reddick at the church.

Reddick’s mother, Kimberly Reddick, said it was her first time at the event.

"It’s very nice and thoughtful," she said. "Sometimes, kids don’t get anything for Christmas. Some people wait until after tax time to have Christmas."

The chapter’s annual Shari Stahl Memorial Toy Run, which began around 1990, raises the money to purchase the gifts for the party, and chapter members spend a night shopping for age-appropriate presents each year.

Gifts and monetary donations also were given to the group to help provide Christmas for the kids.

"There’s a lot that goes into this. There is a lot of community support," Layton said. "The businesses and individuals in town that pledge to us help us be able to buy the toys. This year, we spent $1,600. We still have money left over, and it’s going to be donated to Head Start. There is $3,000 to $4,000 that’s raised just by going around asking for sponsors. That’s what generates this."

The leftover money from last year’s Shari Stahl Memorial Toy Run and Christmas party was used to purchase three pieces equipment that were installed at the Seymour facility’s playground.

Head Start used the gift of $2,100 for a cycle-go-round, teeter-totter and bench and was installed by volunteers from Cummins, Valeo and Ruler earlier this year.

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