Bemidji United Way Ready for Annual ‘Holiday Gifts for Kids’ Distribution

More than 1,200 kids in the Bemidji area will be receiving free Christmas gifts thanks to the United Way of Bemidji Area’s ‘Holiday Gifts for Kids’ program this year.

The gifts were donated by community members over the past few weeks, and on Wednesday, volunteers were busy setting up all the gifts on display for Thursday’s distribution day. Each registered child from a family in need will receive on gift.

“The joy that the families get when they come to this program is really the reason we do this,” said the United Way of Bemidji Area’s Gretchen Anderson. “Not only are the kids getting a gift, but the family feels empowered. They’re able to come in and actually shop for their child, which I really love about this program. They have the choice to pick out what their kids would like.”

Anderson was also appreciative of the community’s support in making the program a success.

“The community has done a great job at donating gifts. We’ve had collection sites around town, at like Menards and [L&M] Fleet [Supply] and First National Bank and MJB [Home Center], the Tourist Information Center. We’ve had a lot of people step up and just donate not only gifts but money, and we’re able to fill the gaps that we need for the gifts.”

Distribution of the gifts is Thursday, Dec. 14 at the Beaux Arts Ballroom at BSU from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Families must be pre-registered to quality for a gift.