Christmas is coming early this year for 100 preschool children as the Inter-Club Council (ICC) gets ready for its big children’s holiday party tomorrow at noon in the Activity Center’s East Lounge.
The ICC wrapped gifts for the children yesterday and will be decorating the East Lounge today for the party.
Laughing with Santa Claus, eating sugary treats and playing games is what the ICC has in store for the children.
The ICC has given this annual party for many years now and looks forward to it every fall semester.
“We once had a student who was a part of the ICC and he remembered when he was a child and participated in the Christmas party, so that shows how long ago the tradition started,” said Janice Watanabe, staff adviser for the club.
The children come from low-income families and attend schools that participate in the Federation State Preschool Program.
The children involved are between the ages of 2 and 5 and attend schools such as; Karr Elementary, Woods Elementary; both in Torrance, and Cordary Elementary in Hawthorne.
Each year the Preschool Federation chooses different schools to participate and they usually try to pick schools close to EC.
Staying in the local community is important, because it is a way of giving back to the surrounding community.
The ICC has a special $2,000 budget which it uses each year to pay for the party. This money pays for the various expenses involved such as chartering the buses that bring the children to EC, the cost of food, and the purchase of gifts.
Although the ICC puts the party together, all clubs on campus are given the opportunity to participate.
Many clubs have joined ICC in the past and this year is no different.
The response has been great and everyone has been willing to work together to make the party special.
The ICC will set up different tables at the party where the children can participate in different activities and play various games. Some of the clubs have set up game tables where the children will win prizes, others will do face painting and create balloon animals.
Planning the party can be hard work and sometimes trying, Watanae said, but it helps to have people who are enthusiastic and willing to put in the extra time needed to make the party a success.
“All the hard work pays off when we see the children’s faces. As soon as they get here and see all of the gifts and the good food, they get so excited and when they see Santa Claus their eyes light up,” said ICC chairwoman Amy Peters.
This is the time of year when people help those less fortunate then themselves and everyone involved in this party is doing so on a volunteer basis, which makes the outcome even more special. The rush that comes from seeing all of the laughing children keeps many of the volunteers coming back each year.
