Published: December 21, 2008 07:39 am      

4-H members spread Christmas cheer

PRINCESS — Children hospitalized over the holidays will get a special visit Wednesday from area children hoping to bring them some cheer.

The Boyd County Livestock Club assembled goodie bags containing all sorts of activities and treats for children on Saturday at the Boyd County Fairgrounds.

The club plans to deliver the bags to children at King’s Daughters Medical Center and Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital on Christmas Eve.

Chase McGlone, 16, came up with the idea and proposed it at the organization’s meeting earlier this month and his fellow members voted to approve the project.

’I thought it would be a good thing for people stuck in the hospital at Christmas. It might be the only visit they get,’ he said.

McGlone was hospitalized around Halloween for appendicitis and was himself the recipient of a similar gift from another area organization. He said he appreciated the gift and wanted to return the favor to other hospitalized children.

Heidi Crawford, 17, agreed. ’They need to know some one is thinking of them too,’ she said. ’All of these kids have to go though a lot of rough times. I just think they need a pick up,’ Crawford said.

’I think they will really enjoy that,’ said 11-year-old Wyatt Staley, one of the club’s enthusiastic new members.

John McGlone, Chase’s father and the group’s volunteer leader, said he is proud of his son and the group’s initiative. ’It makes you extremely proud that they appreciate the things people do for them and they want to give back,’ he said.

John McGlone said the organization has a community service orientation as well as a focus on agriculture and livestock education and often do charitable projects.

’This is one of those things, they show animals at the fair but they do things year round,’ he said.