Posted 1/10/01
Rush City women deliver pails of cheer to area shut-ins
By Danielle Strenke
The women of the Rush City Legion Auxiliary Post #93 have a long-standing tradition at Christmas time that makes an immeasurable difference in the lives of those they serve.
The group of ladies, under president Marianne Schmitz, have been crafting, packing, and delivering cheer baskets, boxes, and now pails, to shut-ins around the Rush City area for as far back as their records show. As near as member Kay Ostlund could estimate, the auxiliary began making cheer boxes in the 1950ís. The boxes later became cheer baskets, and in the 1970ís, it switched to cheer pails.
Work for the pails begins with all of the members, who collect more than 20 ice cream pails throughout the year. ìWhen we shop for ice cream, we always look for the buckets ñ especially those without writing on them,î Ostlund said. That is because once they are emptied and cleaned, member Aileen Olson takes over the work, by scrubbing and scraping the writing off of each pail until they are totally clear. ìIf youíve ever tried to take the writing off an ice cream bucket, you know what a difficult task that is,î Ostlund said. Olson and others spend countless hours preparing the buckets, but that is only half of the labor involved.
Before the pails are ready to be filled, the tops are decorated. To do this, Olson picks out a new Christmas or holiday design each year, makes a pattern, and then cuts the pieces out of felt. Each ice cream top is then given that yearís design. The cutting, gluing, and sometimes sewing, also takes a considerable amount of time, depending on the intricacy of the design. This year, Olson chose a gingerbread man for the design. Other years, the design was more involved, including a scene of a fireplace with stockings, and a nearby Christmas tree. The mantle was even complete with a tiny mantle clock.
Most of the ideas for the designs have come from Christmas cards or pictures Olson has seen in magazines. Once all of the tops are ready, the pails are brought to the auxiliaryís meeting in December to be filled. This is when all of the members become involved once again, by bringing in items to fill the pails.
ìWhat we fill them with can be anything the members bring, itís a big variety,î Ostlund said. These include items like fruit, candy, and homemade jellies, breads, and fruitcake. ìMost of the time, we have so much, itís hard to get the tops closed,î she said.
Once the ice cream pails are filled, it is now the task of the members to deliver them. At its November meeting, the auxiliary prepares a list of area residents who are confined to their homes, as the people who will receive the cheer pails. Some names on the list are from the previous year, and some come from those who deliver Meals on Wheels to area residents.
When the program started, the auxiliary women were filling and delivering around a dozen of the cheer pails. This past year, the number was at 21. The women try to deliver the pails within one or two days after the December meeting, and those receiving them are always grateful.
ìThey really like getting them, and they look forward to it, especially if they have received them before,î Ostlund said. The cheer pails also come with a Christmas card from the auxiliary.
At a senior dining lunch last week at the Rush City Senior Center, the women were recognized for their work, and pail tops from the last 12 years or so were on display. Each one representing a pail that was full of simple items, that brought so much cheer to those who needed it most.