Student groups donate globally and locally

Luther student organizations are demonstrating their generosity during the holiday season by participating in Christmas Cheer, an event organized by the Student Activities Council.

SAC Christmas Cheer Co-Chairs Kaitlin Bach (‘12) and Siri Lokensgard (‘12) are the main organizers of the event.

“Christmas Cheer helps a lot of families in the northeast Iowa community who don’t have enough during the holiday season to buy gifts for themselves or their children,” Lokensgard said. “We just get groups on campus to sponsor a family — small, medium or large — and then they raise money or buy gifts amongst their groups and then wrap them. The gifts are brought to a church, where the families can pick them up.”

There are 74 families being sponsored this year by Luther students and staff. The families, who remain anonymous, send in a list of items that they would like to receive.

“What you notice a lot is that a little kid will want a toy or something, but then there will be something that you wouldn’t think of as a present, like bedding, or diapers for a baby, or even laundry detergent,” Bach said.

The sorority Tau Delta Gamma is one of the groups sponsoring a family. Katie Schlobohm (‘12), community service chair for the sorority, is in charge of Christmas Cheer for her organization.

“We are buying gifts for a family of four,” Schlobohm said. “They have two little boys, ages 3 and 4, and we got them some cars and trucks, the Hungry, Hungry Hippo game, and a family Christmas movie. Everyone was super excited about [participating in Christmas Cheer], especially when we went shopping for the kids. This is a really cool event for the Tau Delts because it’s a fun bonding activity, plus we’re helping someone out during the holidays.”

The annual Christmas Cheer event is made possible by the many student organizations on campus who, like the members of Tau Delta Gamma, find time during their holidays to add another family to their Christmas list. The presents were collected Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Marty’s.