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Mayor Proclaims Designated Day

By Terri Rimmer

Nov. 17th has been proclaimed Cheerful Givers Day by Mayor Kelly of St. Paul, Minn. to recognize and promote the efforts of a local charitable organization.

“The mayor plans to assist in filling birthday gift bags for less fortunate children at the Ecolab headquarters on the 17th from noon to 12:30 p.m.,” said Karen Kitchel, of Cheerful Givers, a non-profit 501© 3 organization.

Businesses, stores, and restaurants in the city have also been asked to participate in the celebration by creating displays and donating a portion of their sales on this day.

Cheerful Givers’ mission is to provide birthday gift bags to children less fortunate for children living in Minnesota. They would like to expand nationally when they’re able to afford it.

The organization has been featured in People Magazine and other publications. The work is anonymous so children believe that the parents bought the gifts.

A year ago Cheerful Givers filled their 100,000th bag with toys, treats, and books for kids three to twelve, having a record-breaking year. There were 22,930 children who benefited in all.

The first recipient back in 1994 was thrilled to get her first birthday bag for her child.

Lately, Cheerful Givers has been sending gift bags to children in Louisiana who were victims of Hurricane Katrina. Donations are needed and tax-deductible contributions may be mailed to: Cheerful Givers, 1287 Berry Ridge Road, Eagan, MN 55123 or click on “Donations” on the website cheerfulgivers.org.

Cheerful Givers Mall includes over 300 popular on-line products like ones from Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Target; etc. according to their website.

Gift cards are also available for birthdays, to honor someone, for anniversaries, for special occasions, or to remember the deceased, according to Cheerful Givers.

You can start your own Cheerful Givers team at work, school, or through any organization you’re a member of and you can also be a sponsor but instead of assembling birthday bags you can furnish things needed for the groups.

If you live in the Eagan area Cheerful Givers is looking for birthday bag blitz organizers, innovative members, a toy donations coordinator, and an assistant grant writer.

You can also donate your vehicle to the organization for fundraising purposes and toys, ribbons, and gift bags are always welcome as donations, stated the organization’s literature.

“What you are doing has a profound impact on those that you touch,” wrote Betty Ferguson, Discovery Toys group manager on Cheerful Givers’ website.

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