For the past 23 years, Kevin Von Maxey and his wife April have led the Tavares Middle School Adopt-A-Family Club, which identifies and supports children and families in need during the Holiday season.  What makes the club unique is that students from Tavares Middle School join the club and volunteer their time to raise money throughout the year to help their classmates in need.

Each year students who join the TMS Adopt-A-Family club volunteer, create their own fundraisers, participate in those fundraisers, and then spend all the money they raise in a shopping trip to help their classmates.  This Christmas season they shopped for 42 students, bringing the total since the inception of the club to 679 children.

For both Kevin and April, who grew up in Tavares and attended Tavares schools all 13 years before earning their teaching degrees at the University of Central Florida, educating kids to give back to the community is important to them.

“The club is important not just because there are families that are being fed and clothed during the Christmas season, but also because we are providing an opportunity for students who are well-off to be a part of that process, and understand how to give back on their own when they older,” says Kevin Von Maxey, who teaches 7^th grade Language Arts and is also the head cross-country and track coach at Tavares Middle.  “The kids who volunteer their time, talent, and energy in the club are our future community leaders and the lessons they learn giving to others is invaluable.”

In fact, the 50 Tavares Patriots students who volunteered to be in the club this year were involved in the entire process. From creating and working fundraiser events like the Santa Shuffle or Money Wars, to actually spending the money in a shopping trip at Target on their unnamed students, all of the kids involved got a first-hand experience of how to give to others.  This year, with the help of community organizations like the Lions Club of Tavares, the students raised over $3,000 and shopped for 42 children.

Janie Uglione, Secretary (and former president) of the Lions Club of Tavares, is excited every year to support the Tavares Adopt-A-Family Club, usually with a donation check from proceeds from their Bingo events.

“The club is truly a wonderful way to help mold students into becoming productive members of society and it wouldn’t exist without these compassionate students striving to make others happy,” says Janie. “The Lions are proud of the students giving back!”

The Lions Club of Tavares participates in local charity work year-round, often raising money and helping those in the community with eye exams, getting glasses, and even eye surgery.

“Bingo is our Thingo,” says Uglione, who said the Lions Club is committed to helping local charities and growing in the community. “Bingo is how we fuel our charity events and we welcome anyone interested in joining our club or just wanting to have fun and play bingo.”

Von Maxey stresses the importance of the Lions Club partnership to the mission of the Adopt-A-Family Club.  “They have been amazing to our program the past few years.  Without their donations, we would probably only be able to help half as many kids and families.  It really makes a difference.”

While the Lions Club of Tavares is one of the major club sponsors, Von Maxey said that they have many community partners that help in the process.  Sonic in Eustis donates slushees for one of their fundraisers.  Donut King in Leesburg gives a discount for donuts as one of their prizes.  And this year, Target in Mount Dora hosted all 50 students on their annual Christmas shopping trip.

While the work the students do helps their fellow classmates by purchasing presents, needs, and clothing and delivering it to them, the kids say being involved with the fundraisers and shopping is really fun.

“I like being able to help people in need and I like being around all the people in the club,” says eighth grader Farren White, who is the student president of the Adopt-A-Family club this year.  “The Santa Shuffle and shopping trips were my favorite but the reason why I joined was because I like to help others.”

“It’s quiet work,” Von Maxey says. “We teach the kids not to seek attention for the work they do helping others.  That’s not why we do it.  We teach kids to give back because it’s the right thing to do.”

If you would like to play Bingo, you don’t have to be a member of the Lions Club of Tavares.  Bingo is every Saturday at 1100 Lake Harris Drive in Tavares.  Doors open at 9am and the regular session begins at 11:30am.  You can reach the Lions Club of Tavares at (352) 343-0180 for more information on Bingo or how to join the club or donate.  If you would like to donate to or sponsor the Tavares Middle School Adopt-A-Family program, you can reach them at (352) 343-4545. 

Press release and photos provided