Children’s caroling fun turns into a chance to put spirit of Christmas to work
By KARL SCHWEIZER
Herald Writer
MACHIAS — In an upscale neighborhood where Christmas carolers are as rare as overgrown lawns, eight youngsters spent a chilly Wednesday evening bringing cheer to unsuspecting strangers.
They were mixing holiday fun with a good cause, singing Christmas carols to raise money for a sick family friend.
The fund-raiser happened almost by accident on Tuesday, the first night of caroling, when a stranger offered the group $5, said Roxanne Herbert, mother of two of the youngsters.
The children didn’t know what to do with the money, so Herbert suggested they take up a collection for Debbie Wilson, a Bellingham woman who is recovering from a bone-marrow transplant she received last year.
The outing, conceived in fun, suddenly became a chance to help someone. So the children, led by 13-year-old Amanda Stopa, began asking for donations after their carols.
It was a holiday idea that caught on with the neighbors, who gave the group $100 Tuesday and another $102 Wednesday.
One neighbor, Mike Peacock, figured it was an emergency when he heard a pounding on his front door. He opened instead to a crowd of youngsters, who greeted him with a chorus of "Deck the Halls."
"I was kind of startled. I guess it was a happy surprise," Peacock said.
His wife, Cindy Peacock, seemed impressed.
"Wow. It’s nice that you guys are doing this. That’s a nice idea," she said, handing the kids a donation.
The moment brought a smile to her face.
"It’s nice that they are doing this. It’s not all bad news out there. They are real troopers," she said.
The children, ages 10 to 13, also seemed to enjoy the holiday good deed, shouting and laughing as they ran from one house to the next.
"When little kids see us, they run to the door and have a bright, happy look on their faces, and I love to see that," Amanda Stopa said.
"It’s fun to be with friends and it’s a great way to celebrate Christmas," said her brother, Andrew Stopa, 11.
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