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A Few Children Still Awaiting Help From Santa

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By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: December 15, 2007

BRANDON - Members of the MiraBay Girls, a group of friends from MiraBay in Apollo Beach - Lynn Spivey, Lynn Mooney and Sandy Tams -- were helping Santa at the Sincerely, Santa table at the new entrance of the Westfield Brandon mall on St. Nicholas Day, Dec. 6.

"Our books are pretty thin," said Mooney, referring to the three-ring binders that hold the letters Hillsborough County children wrote Santa this year.

Most of the children have been "adopted" by shoppers willing to provide at least some of their wants and needs identified by their teachers. Sunday is the deadline for returning gifts to the table at the mall.

"It's a lot of fun to go shopping for them," Spivey said. "I don't have young children to shop for any more."

A young couple walked by and put money in the box.

"Money that is donated is used to buy gifts for the children's older siblings or for children not chosen by shoppers," Tams said.

Or for other necessities, such as bicycle helmets to accompany donated bicycles.

"I delivered gifts in 1997," said Diane Miller, president of Sincerely, Santa, in a phone interview, "and then was on the board of directors. Once you see how these kids live, you can't stop. I've been president for five or six years."

There can be surprises.

"One time we went to a house in Plant City. There was no front door on the house. The next day we came back with a door and put it on for them."

One year, Deputy Benny Boswell of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, trying to deliver a large, white bag full of presents to a home in Plant City, was chased by a turkey.

"I guess it didn't like the white bag!" Miller said.

"Kids ask for odd things. One girl asked for an umbrella. That's an unusual request from a child. When we looked into her request, we learned that when it rained, she got wet inside her house.

"Kids ask for new shoes. One wrote, 'anything you want, Santa,'" and some letters include notes from teachers, such as 'He's always late. Buy him an alarm clock.'

"The joy we get from doing this is just amazing. We're very, very blessed."

The organization is run by volunteers. The mall donates space, capital partners give sorting space, agencies such as police, the sheriff's office and firefighters give vehicles, gas and manpower for deliveries.

"Every penny goes in the bank," said Debra Hoffman, treasurer of Sincerely, Santa. "Ninety-nine-point-nine percent goes to the kids - except every few years we replace binders, and we buy paper to copy the kids' letters. ... Any undeliverable gifts will be donated to Joshua House a temporary or longer-term shelter for children ages 4 to 12."

For information, call Miller, (813) 417-1226, or Hoffman, (813) 985-1322. Checks may be made out to Sincerely, Santa, and mailed to Sincerely, Santa, 5802-A Fowler Ave., Tampa FL 33617.

League Names Its Artist Of The Month

SUN CITY CENTER - The Kings Point Art League has honored Sue "Bobber" Crysler as the artist of the month for December and will display her work in the windows of the Art Room at the main clubhouse throughout the month.

Crysler and her husband of 62 years, Bob, moved to Kings Point from Delray Beach in 2001. They still dress to match, although her nickname, Bobber, came from her wearing fishing bobbers as earrings. No one has seen Bob Crysler in matching fish-bobber earrings.

Crysler's painting of New York's Thousand Islands Bridge won a contest and was displayed at the 1937 World's Fair when she was a girl.

She went on to study ceramics, jewelry, leather and fabric art at Crouse College of the Arts at Syracuse University. While there, she was known as "Singer Sue," a reference to the Singer sewing machine she used to make all the slip covers and draperies for the 12-story Syracuse Memorial Hospital.

Laureate Zeta Kappa Plan Fun, Games

SUN CITY CENTER - The "Merry Christmas" meeting of Laureate Zeta Kappa will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the home of Melba Hausman.

Hausman and Sonja Davidson have planned an evening of fun, games and the telling of "The Legend of the Christmas Rose."

A board meeting at 7 will precede the merrymaking.

"Hospice, Sun Terrace Health Care Center and postage for servicemen are on Santa's List for Christmas from the sorority chapter," said Shirley Turner, publicity chairwoman for the chapter. "Helping others has been a chapter tradition since 1986 with the aid of their fundraising events."

For information about the chapter or about the holiday meeting, call Connie Stephan, president, at (813) 634-7890.

Macintosh Users Will Tame 'Leopard'

SUN CITY CENTER - The Sun City Center Macintosh User Club will meet at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Caper Room of the Atrium Building, 945 North Course Lane.

There also will be an early bird question-and-problem-solving session at 3 p.m.

"This is a change from the normal fourth Tuesday of the month meeting date, due to Christmas," said Dunham Swift, president.

The meeting will take the mystery out of Time Machine (backup and restoration) and Spaces (organizing system for the screen view) of Apple's new Mac OS X Leopard operating system.

"In addition, there will be the usual tutorials, tips and pointers on how to best utilize our computers and software," Swift said. "Come join us and see why the Macintosh is fast becoming the computer of choice for the rest of us."

For information, visit http://web.mac.com/sccmacclub/, or call Swift, (813) 633-7262.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr.com or call (813) 657-4531.

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