Multiple Sclerosis Society fundraiser powered by gift wrapping
CENTER TWP — Gift wrappers have taken up residence in Clearview Mall, but their pay for preparing presents for the masses “can be anything from ‘merry Christmas’ to $1 million.”
The project is an annual fundraiser organized by Gary Evans, who brought the wrapping station to the mall in December nearly 20 years ago. For a donation of any kind, people can have items gift-wrapped and the money raised in the period from Black Friday to Christmas Eve each year is donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Evans explained that the gift wrapping initiative is just one way he raises money for the National MS Society.
“That is a fundraiser, and this is a fundraiser for the fundraiser,” Evans said of the gift wrapping. “We do the ride and whatever we get for the wrapping, we send through Bike MS to National MS (Society).”
The gift wrapping station is located in the mall near Spencer’s in a kiosk of tables adorned with wrapping paper of many varieties and a box full of bows.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, the table was manned throughout the day by longtime volunteer Jennifer Seybert. A longtime friend of Evans, Seybert said she helps out with the wrapping every year, because she, too, has a connection to a person with MS.
Seybert said she has wrapped many items that people want to give as gifts in her years of volunteering.
“We try to accommodate everyone,” Seybert said. “They wrapped a kayak for someone one year.”
Evans said it is common for shoppers to buy one or more gifts while at the mall and immediately drop them off at the gift wrapping station.
“We get a lot of stuff from Boscov's, Dunham's,” Evans said. “People will go get dinner and drop their presents off and will go eat.”
Wrappers stand at the wrapping station throughout the mall’s open hours, Sunday through Saturday. Evans is there much of the time.
While the initiative takes a lot of time during a busy period of the year, Evans said it is a good way to raise money for the National MS Society in the winter. His other avenue to raise money for the society is Bike MS, which has a local event each year that he participates in. It’s all for his son, Joshua, who was diagnosed with MS years ago.
“In 2007 he was diagnosed, in 2008 I did my first ride,” Evans said. “Through the years, we have gotten to know many, many, many people with MS.”
As Evans explained, the wrapping project is meant to be a fundraiser for the National MS Society, but people don’t even need to donate to the cause to have their items wrapped at the mall. He emphasized that the initiative is based on the good will of people and even passersby at the mall.
“We'll take anything from “merry Christmas" to $1 million,” Evans said.
