The Giving Tree

Hung with cutout ornaments listing gifts for children at the Wanaque Center in Haskell, Craig students selected an ornament for their parents to buy, wrap and bring to the school. Once all the gifts had arrived, Mr. Cap arrived with members of the upper school student council who transported the gifts to the Wanaque Center. The following describes what happened next.

On December 12th a caravan left the Craig lower school in Mountain lakes, loaded with presents for children at the Wanaque Center in Haskell. Over 100 Craig school students, their families and faculty began an annual tradition this year; they “adopted” 62 of the center’s children for the holiday season.

The Wanaque Center for nursing and rehabilitation pediatric unit provides long term care for children from birth to age 21. All of the children at the center require care for conditions ranging from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to rare genetic disorders. 40 of the “adopted” children require ventilator units just to breathe. Many of the Center’s children have no families or known relatives.

The Wanaque Center asked for 50 blankets, the Craig families responded with twice that many, plus CD players, stuffed animals, books on tape, musical crib toys, pajamas and many other gifts for the holiday season.

Gina Meltzer, director of recreation at the Wanaque Center, commented, “It’s a little overwhelming…” as she watched the volunteer “caravaners” from Craig school fill the lobby with their gifts. “You don’t have any idea what it means to these kids. You’ve really made it a magical Christmas.”