Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block will open two gift wrapping stations inside the mall at Hamilton Place beginning Monday, Dec. 7, for the 32nd annual Holiday Gift Wrap fundraising event. The upstairs booth will be located across from the mall’s Tourist Information Center (Customer Service) and the newest location will be downstairs in front of Dillard’s. CKOB gift wrapping stations will be open during mall holiday hours from Dec. 7-24.
The 32nd Annual Holiday Gift Wrap is a fundraising event to help raise funds to support CKOB’s mission to educate children about social concerns and differences, giving them the skills to stay safe and healthy.
The funds raised will help provide educational programs free of charge to children in 16 counties served by CKOB. These programs focus on child abuse prevention, bullying, healthy eating, self-esteem, mental health, making friends, effective communication, anger management and many more sensitive topics and social issues.
In addition to a variety of papers to choose from, CKOB also has sponsorship and volunteer opportunities available. Over 200 volunteers will wrap gifts during this fundraising event. If you or your business would like to volunteer, contact Earlynn Schubert at earlynn@kidsontheblock.net . For sponsorship opportunities, contact Kelly Lowry at kellyl@kidsontheblock.net or call 423-757-5259.
CKOB is offering a pick up and drop off service this holiday season for 15 or more gifts. If you would like to have CKOB pick up multiple packages to be wrapped and dropped back off to your home or office call 423-757-5259 to schedule a time.
For the past 36 years, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block has been providing educational puppetry programs free of charge to schools and communities in Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Alabama. Chattanooga's Kids on the Block features life size puppets designed to teach children and adults about social concerns and differences in a non-threatening manner.
Despite funding challenges and severe cuts threatening to reduce the number of CKOB programs provided free of charge to schools and community groups in the 16 county service area, CKOB provided a record number of programs this past 2014-2015 school year totaling 456 educational programs serving 70,000 children and adult which represented a 15% increase over that of last year.
If you would like to support CKOB this holiday season, consider having your gifts wrapped at one of the two locations inside Hamilton Place. Individual and corporate contributions can be made directly to CKOB through the website: www.kidsontheblock.net or by calling 423-757-5259.
Sponsors of the 32nd Annual Holiday Gift Wrap are Hamilton Place, Brewer Media Group including 105.1FM ESPN Chattanooga, Big 95.3 and Cat Country 106.9, StayBridge Suites Downtown, EPB Fiber Optics, Episode 49, and UPS.