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Alter Key Club makes holidays merrier

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By Adele Koehnen, Contributing Writer 11:56 AM Friday, November 26, 2010

Since 1970, when faculty member Bill Truxel came up with the idea, students at Alter High School in Kettering have made Thanksgiving and Christmas a bit merrier for many people in the Dayton area.

“We provide 300 frozen turkeys for each holiday,” said senior John Griffen, Key Club president. “The turkeys come in crates from Atlantic Foods in Cincinnati and more than a dozen guys from the club load them on the truck generously provided by Dave Reeves of P & R Communications. Then we take off for four destinations: St Vincent-St. James, Catholic Social Services, East Dayton Food Pantry and St. Paul United Methodist Church in downtown Dayton.”

Katie Lechleiter, vice president of the Key Club, heads the drive to collect money from the students to reach the goal of $8,000 to cover both holidays.

“One week between Nov. 15 and 19, we’re in the library after last period to receive money from students who have been saving their money by forgoing a cookie or dessert at lunch or extra baby sitting,” Lechleiter said.

“We stage contests among the various classes with prizes for the winners, like dress-down day, no uniform day. Also, we collect 4,000 items of non-perishables for each holiday. For weeks, the school’s front lobby is full of cans and boxes of food,” Lechleiter said.

The Dare to Care Club at Alter provides more than 500 gifts, mainly toys, for the Dec. 16 Christmas giving, the same day the 300 Christmas turkeys are delivered.

“It’s an all school project, but I worry each year that we’re not going to make our goal,” said faculty member Norman Rich, Key Club moderator.

“But every year we make it. Parents and faculty and members of the community like the Kettering-Centerville Kiwanis get involved in the tradition. All help is appreciated.”

Contact this columnist at (937) 433-1552 or adeleauk4737@sbc global.net.

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