Students forgo weekend slumber to help shop for a cause

Many people hate getting up in the morning.

But it's basically a way of life for Algonquin teens Linnea Walters and Alexis Johnson.

The two young ladies belong to the Interact Club at Jacobs High School, in which members focus on completing volunteer projects.

They said they are extremely active in the club and do everything from assisting with softball team registration to helping out at the Winter Wonderland Fair at Algonquin Middle School, so getting up at 6 a.m. on a weekend just didn't faze them.

I met them a few weeks ago at the Elgin Wal-Mart, where they were among hundreds of teens volunteering to take low-income children shopping for Christmas gifts.

There were students from St. Edwards, Elgin High School, Streamwood, Bartlett Dundee-Crown and Jacobs all over the place - there were way more students than kids.

Each child comes in with a list of things they want to buy and for whom.

The Woodfield Area Children's Organization sets aside $75 for the children's' gifts and volunteers over the age of 15 take them shopping.

And it was so exciting to see so many teens there eager to give back - those who didn't help the kids shop were assigned to help wrap Christmas presents instead.

Johnson, Walters and I were paired up with Karina Acevedo, 4, of Elgin, who didn't speak much English.

Luckily, with the help of Spanish-speaking volunteers, we figured out what she wanted for her 5-year-old twin brother and sister (a blue sweater and pink pajamas) and for herself (a doll, pink boots and a blue winter coat).

We did our best to communicate with Karina, and by the end of the day, we were giving her high fives and fist bumps.

When we saw that she was making eyes at some of the other tots during snack time, Johnson and Walters told her to make sure her future beaus hold open the door for her and pay for their outings.

Wheeling Karina through all of the people was a challenge but in the end, we had maybe $10 left over, which we used to buy Karina a doll and a stuffed dog.

Walters and Johnson said they had never volunteered to take a child shopping through the Woodfield Area Children's Organization and that they looked forward to doing it again next year.

Hope to see them then!

Going west: Hi Sweetie! candy store has moved from its Route 31 perch in downtown Algonquin.

You can now enjoy its goodies inside its new digs in Algonquin Commons on Randall Road.

• Lenore Adkins covers Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, McHenry County College and Pingree Grove. To reach her, send an e-mail to ladkins@dailyherald.com or call (847) 608-2725.