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ELKINS -- Each holiday season the Seneca Trail Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police provides gifts to less fortunate children during its annual Christmas Party.
Coming off the heels of its biggest party to date in 2023, when the FOP hosted approximately 150 children and their families, the organization is hoping to have an even bigger and better event this December.
"For years the FOP has accepted donations and we've done a Christmas Party for children," FOP Seneca Trail Chairman of Trustees Mike Pizzino told The Inter-Mountain Tuesday. "We used to do them down at the FOP Lodge, and it got so big that we had to move it to the Phil Gainer Center last year. We had a tremendous turnout for the party and it was a real success."
Not only did children attending last year's event receive a gift of their choice, each child also took home hats and gloves to help get them through the cold winter months. In addition to food, the party also featured bouncy houses, elves, live music, snacks and a visit from Santa Claus.
Last year the FOP spent $18,000 on gifts and toys for the party. All of the money raised for the event came from donations that the FOP requested in letters it sent out throughout the year.
"We are hoping to have 200 children this year," said FOP Seneca Trail Treasurer Brian Kilgore. "The community has been wonderful already as far as donations go, but we are trying to get a little bit more money in so we can spend around $100 per child, plus the giveaways we have throughout the party."
In order for the FOP to be able to care for its wish list of 200 children this year, more money is needed to help fund the event.
"We are short of where we want to be. We have a little over $12,000 right now," Kilgore said. "I'd like to see another $10,000, and if we received that amount, we would be able to increase the number of children to 200."
The children invited to the party come from schools in Randolph, Barbour, Tucker, Pocahontas, Pendleton and Grant counties.
"We have a lot of children who come from all over the area," Kilgore said. "We do this event by invitation only, and we work with the school counselors to provide us with the families that they feel are in need. We then contact those families and find out what their child wants for Christmas and we get it."
Along with completely funding the Christmas Party a year ago, money taken in from Christmas donors also helped support local organizations, including Centers Against Violence, the Elkins Mountain School, the Tucker County Rec League, and the West Virginia Right from the Start Program.
"We couldn't do this event without the general community and the businesses donating to it," Kilgore said. "But Scott Staats, the manager at the Elkins Walmart, has helped us tremendously. He has employees that help us shop, and he really goes above and beyond for us. We have a great community that always comes together to help us with this event."
This year's event will mark the 31st straight year that the FOP Seneca Trail Lodge has hosted the Christmas Party. For more information on how to make a donation to this year's event, email FOP104@yahoo.com.