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December 14, 2020

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Features • December 14, 2020

How the Grinch is saving the holidays for the United Way of Greater McHenry County

By
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MCHENRY COUNTY – What once was a solitary, grumpy creature bent on ruining the holidays, has now reformed to support the United Way of Greater McHenry County by means of “Grinchy shenanigans” according to fundraiser organizer Kassandra “Kassie” Olea.

“We’re very excited to generate extra Christmas cheer in a year that’s been tough on most, especially the children, and support such a good cause,” Olea said. “We felt [the Grinch] was something we could still do, safely, during these COVID times. He will be bringing hot cocoa bombs donated by The Bomb Mom (limited supply) and Morkes donuts out to local families, and of course, they can expect some Grinchy shenanigans as well!”

Olea, who has been volunteering since she was 18 years old and is also currently on the Women’s Executive Council for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, explained that the Grinch visit idea came together fairly quickly, within a week’s time span.

Don’t worry though, the Grinch’s heart isn’t small when it comes to taking the safety of families into consideration.

“In order to keep this as safe as possible, I chose to make this an event where families could request that the Grinch comes to their house and delivers donuts or a hot cocoa bomb. We felt that this eliminated the large crowd gatherings that could occur at many other places and still allowed for a Grinchy show in their front yard. It also allowed those [in] quarantine to make a request, donuts dropped to their front porch, and they could watch from their front windows. Something to lighten any mood,” Olea said.

Yet even as Olea and her husband, Fernando, take center stage when it comes to being on the front lines to bringing the magic of the Grinch to life, she emphasizes how dedicated the other members of United Way have been, to help in her quest to raise funds for the community.

United Way asked individuals interested in partaking in the fundraiser event to donate at least $50 or more for the house visit, to ensure they hit their initial goal of $1,000. Seeing as the Grinch has been quite a hit in the community, the organization was able to reach that goal on December 13. Olea stated that they are anticipating reaching their new goal of $2,000, by the end of December.

Of course, individuals just seeking to make monetary donations of their choosing, can also send the text message, UWTeamGrinch, to 44321 which will then forward a link to where they will be able to not only donate, but check on the status of the fundraiser.

As of now, those wanting to book a visit with the Grinch can only do so on Facebook, but Olea mentioned individuals may also reach out via email if they are not on social media. Visits can only be scheduled on four select days ranging from Dec 12-13 or Dec 19-20.

“We booked each slot for an hour (which includes travel between houses) in hopes that would give everyone plenty of time for greetings, giggles, and any photo ops they hope for,” Olea said.

In the future, Olea hopes to work out some of the kinks for the Grinch fundraiser and is eager to see what next year’s newly improved event brings, as she doesn’t believe the Grinch will be going back to Whoville anytime soon.

Adding how the United Way may adopt this fundraiser in the future, Olea commented, “For me, I’ve always felt a calling to help non-profits and sit on the fundraising committee of the United Way of Greater McHenry County as well as a few other non-profits. I was fortunate that this year when I told my husband, Fernando, what I’d dreamed up and was thinking of dressing up, he jumped on it and within an hour told me he’d already ordered a costume! This will be our first fundraising initiative as a family, making it extra exciting for us!”

The United Way of Greater McHenry County has been making an impact on local communities for 54 years, with each fundraiser ensuring the funds are put towards the goal of mobilizing resources and as their website put it, creating “positive solutions to greater McHenry County’s most pressing needs.” Anyone wanting to donate to this chapter of the United Way can do so via their website at uwmchenry.org.