NANTY GLO – The Christmas season of more than 300 students at Blacklick Valley Elementary School has been brightened by the generosity of the community.
Through hundreds of donations from local churches, businesses, organizations and private donors, the school is offering each student at least one gift of their choice, with larger items to be raffled off on Friday, and dozens of families are invited on Sunday to pick out their own gifts to put under the tree. including jackets, shoes and clothing.
“There’s so much joy in seeing the kids happy, the families happy,” Amy Kanich said. “It’s just so wonderful to bring so much light.”
This is thanks to the Sinterklaas market, which Kanich has organized on a smaller scale in the past.
She said the community response was significantly greater this year and she couldn’t be more grateful.
Kanich said she reached out to local groups in the district for donations to help ease the burden on families during the holidays, and they provided about 800 items for the school.
“It speaks a lot to the community that we’re in with what they were able to give,” said Superintendent William Kanich, noting the economically depressed area.
The concept for the market came from a mission trip the Kanich family took to Camden, New Jersey.
Amy Kanich said she liked the idea of inviting parents to the school to pick out their things, noting that a mother once told her that Angel Trees are nice, but sometimes she would like a choice, e.g. with the color of a jacket.
Amy Kanich said offering the market in this way gives dignity back to parents.
Blacklick Valley has been offering a St. Nicholas Market for about three years, but not on this scale.
“Christmas is just one aspect of a community really coming together to help these families,” Amy Kanich said.
William Kanich said it is incredible to witness the support from area residents.
The couple’s son, elementary guidance counselor Noah Kanich, spent the past week taking each group of students to the gift room next to the cafeteria to pick out their toys.
He said students are overwhelmed by the amount of items piled on tables and the floor.
“They come in and they’re just in awe,” he said.
“They can’t believe it. They just say, ‘Thank you,’ up and down.”
He joked that it takes each student time to choose from the piles because of the quantity available.
“I can’t thank them enough,” Noah Kanich said of the donors.
Other items are stored in the school’s Blessings Closet, including clothing, shoes and the like.
Anyone interested in donating to the hive can contact William Kanich at 814-749-9211 or Noah Kanich at 814-749-9211, ext. 437.
Joshua Byers is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @Journo_Josh.
