Creating colorful Christmas cheer

By Adyson Rackley, Contributing Writer

In a burst of friendly competition, Chester Boren Middle School (CBMS) students are competing in the Art Drive organized by Centralia Kiwanis Club. ​

 With each grade eager to outshine the other, the Art Drive is to surely become a success. This event will bring the CBMS student body together because of the exciting reward if they win. 

The CBMS art drive is a service project that has been happening for the past decade. The art materials collected are donated to the Children’s Miracle Network and Mizzou (MU) Healthcare Hospital in Columbia, MO. Children who are currently hospitalized receive these donations to help them feel more at home during their holiday stay. CBMS and Kiwanis are competing against each other as well. This “friendly competition” provides hundreds of children with Christmas cheer.

 In December of 2023, CBMS almost won with a grand total of 2,721 art related items. CBMS students get to help other children while also having their minds set on winning for the reward of “pieing” a teacher or administrator in the face. Organizers of this event are Kiwanis members Stephanie Greene and Kendra west. The CBMS coordinators are Mrs. Alicia Hancock, eighth grade Language Arts teacher and Mr. Logan Ross, who teaches Exploratory. 

This drive is very important to the hospitalized children because the items they receive are not allowed to be passed between the children. Items to contribute to the cause are boxes of colored pencils and crayons, coloring books, paints and paint supplies, crossword puzzles and small crafts. 

There will be an assembly held at CBMS in the gymnasium Friday, December 20, at 7:45 a.m. MU Healthcare/Children’s Miracle Network representative, Kristen Fritsche will collect all the donated items to take them to their designated location. “We know - in the end - that together, CBMS and Kiwanis are helping kids!” stated Kiwanis representative, Ed Dunstan.

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