Elves help littles shop

Signs like these assisted children in keeping the surprise of their gifts. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Parents enjoyed a bake sale as they waited on their shoppers. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

PTA President Alicia Whalen and a volunteer elf check out a little shopper. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Ryker (front left) and Jersey (front right) Richmond shopped with their elves Gabby Myers (back left) and Kaylee Kula (back right). (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Rylee Seibert excitedly tells her Grandma Ava Seibert all about her shopping experience. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

MT. PLEASANT—Children enjoyed the opportunity to shop for their loved ones, Saturday, morning at the Mt. Pleasant Community School’s PTA Kids’ Christmas.

As kids arrived at Mt. Pleasant Middle School volunteers assisted them in writing down for whom they were shopping and put their money in an envelope.

After checking in, volunteers directed the kids down a hallway to wait for an elf volunteer to take them through the gymnasium filled with gifts.

Elves checked out the children’s lists and asked them questions about what they thought each individual would like as a gift.

After shopping for everyone on their lists, the children then checked out with PTA president Alicia Whalen. Volunteers also helped the kids wrap and label each present.

While their littles shopped, the adults waited in the cafeteria and enjoyed a bake sale.

Once the kids finished shopping, paying, and wrapping, they returned to their adults with arms full of Christmas surprises and many exclamations of, “you’ll never guess what I got you,” and “It’s a secret!”

Rylee Seibert, 7, returned to her grandmother, Ava Seibert with a wide grin and many gifts.

“There’s a lot of cool stuff,” Rylee said as she told her grandma about all the gifts, except for the one labeled “To: Grandma.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com