Hundreds attend Becker County Museum’s Christmas Workshop on Saturday; DL Jaycees distribute Gifts For Kids

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The Becker County Museum was bustling with holiday activity on Saturday as a Christmas Workshop, along with the Detroit Lakes Jaycees, Gifts For Kids event, brought in families large and small to Detroit Lakes for the festive gathering.

The Jaycees’ Gift For Kids event allowed parents and kids to select donated gifts broken down into different age categories to take home for Christmas.

Abigail Ferdon, a Jaycee’s member from Detroit Lakes, said the Detroit Lakes VFW donated six large plastic bags filled with stuffed animals from their kids bingo event to be distributed among the gift seekers and she estimated that more than 200 families made their way through the event that she described as “organized chaos.”

Members of the Detroit Lakes Jaycees prepare gift tables at the Becker County Museum for their annual Gifts For Kids event on Dec. 9, 2023.

Parents and kids make their way through the Gifts For Kids event with members of the Detroit Lakes Jaycees at the Becker County Museum on Dec. 9, 2023.

“Each of the Jaycees members, we’d go through with a group and take them through by age group to their table and help them pick one toy per kid,” said Ferdon. “And then they got stocking stuffers and a stuffed animal each.”

She added that it’s important for every child to have a good Christmas and events like Gifts For Kids or the Boy’s and Girl’s Club giving event try to ensure that becomes a reality for lakes area residents. She also said the Gift For Kids event was something former member Kate Spaeth championed during her time with the Jaycees and they are happy to continue the tradition she left. Spaeth passed away in January.

“Every child deserves a good Christmas and the joy that comes with that,” she said.”It’s definitely a team effort. We had a lot of funds donated in Kate Spaeth’s honor and we used that to give back to the community. That’s what the Jaycees is about and this allowed parents to give to their children when, maybe, they had a harder season to go through.”

The Gifts For Kids event wasn’t the only attraction at the museum on Saturday. Hundreds of kids and families made their way through the museum’s Christmas Workshop, which featured sugar cookie decorating, games, a hot cocoa bar and build-your-own Christmas stuffed animal.

Upstairs, just off the science center floor in a classroom, dozens of kids and parents were crafting their own Christmas tree ornaments.

Connie Wood, a museum volunteer stationed in the arts and crafts classroom, said there was a pretty steady flow of families who selected from a variety of ornament types and they worked on them together.

“They had a choice,” said Wood. “They got to pick things. The painting. It’s so fun to come and do this somewhere for a special event and you don’t have to worry about spilling on your carpet or anything at home. And the grandparents, and the little babies are along, it’s just wonderful.”

Luka Zick, left, 3, and Desirae Zick paint a Christmas tree decoration during the Christmas Workshop at the Becker County Museum on Dec. 9, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM)

Evelyn Thielen, left, 5, and Sandy Thielen smile while painting their Christmas tree decoration during the Christmas Workshop at the Becker County Museum on Dec. 9, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM)

She also said it takes a lot of volunteers to ensure events like the Christmas Workshop go off without and any hiccups. Adding, she volunteers at the museum because she thinks it’s important to the community, not only the history aspect, the arts, science and technology benefits as well.

“I really think the Museum is an important place for us,” she said. “Certainly, the museum history aspect, but the art and the science and technology is so important. And just to make it accessible for everyone.”

And to cap off the event, in front of a holiday landscape in the museum’s lobby, families were able to take photographs with the big guy himself. Santa Claus posed for pictures with lakes area kids for hours during the event.