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Rose Furniture plays Santa Claus for needy kids

By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, December 16, 2001

HIGH POINT — About 350 kids here will receive Christmas gifts this year thanks to retailer Rose Furniture and the generosity of its employees and the community.

Bob Garland, a Rose salesman, and his wife, Lorie, are the coordinators of Santa's Elves, an effort involving various groups to provide holiday presents to hundreds of local underprivileged children through the Staley Head Start Developmental Daycare Center.

The store serves as the collection point, and on Dec. 7 Rose Furniture delivered more than 900 gifts to the center, which distributes them to families. About 150 Rose employees participated.

Other organizations taking part in Santa's Elves included Wachovia Bank, the Rotary Club of Furnitureland, local scout troops and area churches such as First Presbyterian, St. Mary's Episcopal and Emerywood Baptist.

Garland said he and his wife launched Santa's Elves about nine years ago, accumulating presents for about 40 children. "And now we provide for all of the kids in the Staley Head Start Center as well as their siblings," he said.

Staley Center Director Wanda Smith distributes the gifts to the parents without the kids' knowledge. "From what I understand, most parents hide them and put them out Christmas morning from Santa.… If that doesn't give you a warm fuzzy, I don't know what will."

Rose Furniture's Bob Garland, left, gathers Christmas presents for underprivileged children with help from Renee Surratt and sales manager Tripp Kester.

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