West Tenn. Santa raises money for kids to shop
SELMER, Tenn. — Earlier this month we introduced you to a West Tennessee Santa Claus. Jack Cheshier has helped raise money for nearly 10,000 kids to have a brighter Christmas over the last three decades. Monday, the 32nd annual Children’s Shopping Spree was held at Walmart in Selmer. This year, 317 McNairy County kids were able to participate in this year’s children’s shopping spree. “If you walked around today you can see how happy these children are and what a great day it’s been,” Cheshier said. Cheshier started running the program independently in 1982 with one goal in mind — to get children Christmas presents who would otherwise go without. “These are the type of kids that don’t get to go to Walmart and pick out what they want, and that’s what we want it to be is about the children,” Cheshier said. The pre-Kindergarten through 4th graders were paired with a National Honor Society student from McNairy Central High School. “We’re here to help them, but really they help us,” Kelly Beth Ernest said. “It really helps me more for Christmas. It helps me get in the spirit better.” Ernest has been helping with the children’s shopping spree for three years. “It just makes you feel like God’s blessed you with everything you got, and some of these kids, you know, they just don’t have as much, so it makes you feel better about everything you have,” she said. A woman doing her Christmas shopping observed the kids picking out presents. “It makes me feel really happy and thrilled because we were raised up, we didn’t have that in school. We were poor, so I’m really thrilled that they have this for all the kids.” One thing they tell the kids is that they need to buy at least one thing for themselves. “She was wanting to get presents for her siblings because she was afraid they weren’t going to get presents on Christmas,” National Honor Society student Abbie Sweat said. Cheshier said this is as much a tradition to him as Christmas morning. “Just the expressions and their shouts and their hollers — it’s just a great time.” About $17,000 was spent Monday on Christmas presents. Cheshier said he will now begin writing his lengthy thank you cards for all of his donors who make this possible.
