One hundred in fifty children and sixty-two families were helped with Christmas gifts by the Fort Lupton Optimist club, and the community.

“Each child received clothes, toys, books, gloves, and hats as part of their “bag.” This year despite Covid it was a successful project,” Steve Moore Fort Lupton Optimist Club.

For over twenty years, the Optimist Club has worked on this project to provide children and families in need with Christmas gifts.

Moore said the history of the project started in the early eighties as a community project, then the Optimist club took over with the Angel Tree project.

The children and families are selected by the school district. The Angel tree is decorated with wishes from the children and families. The trees are set up in a couple of locations around Fort Lupton. A tag is pulled off the tree with a Christmas wish, then the gift is purchased and placed in a designated box for pick up. The Optimist Club volunteers Mary Gesterling, Sue, and Karynn Moore collect the gifts, wrapped them, and distributed them to the families.

“I think as a group we always feel good when we complete this project but even more so this year because of the success during “ Covid times,” said Moore.

The community and several local businesses contributed. Books were donated to put in the bags from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Summit Body Works donated toys. Bank of Colorado and Ace Hardware gave monetary contributions. The Fort Lupton Recreation Center, Pack and Ship, and Dale’s Pharmacy placed the Angel trees in their businesses. Also, Butler Elementary staff allowed the Optimist Club to use the school’s facility to organize and wrap the gifts.

‘It makes you feel humble and blessed with our personal situations. It shows how the Fort Lupton community comes together, no matter the situation to help those in need. We live in a very good place,” said Moore.