Wednesday December, 5 2012 @ 19:30

Nature: Nana’s Kids Presentations

Address: 32628 Oak Orchard Road, Millsboro, DE 19966

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company is pleased to announce and identify the extreme generosity of the Friends and Family of Dorothy “Dottie” Gudger, affectionately known as Nana's Kids. 

On Wednesday, December 5^th, Family and Friends of the Gudger Family, representatives of the County Bank – Long Neck (Carmen Windsor and Pam Shockley) attended the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company to make a formal presentation with the inaugural contribution to the premier Nana's Kids Campaign.

Carol Taylor, daughter of Dorothy Gudger, and other family members attended the Indian River VFC as well and read the following communication:.

Hi and Good Evening,

My name is Carol Taylor, and my mother was Dottie Gudger.  For as long as I can remember, my mother would purchase toys/clothes all year long in support of the needy kids drive.  When the kids went back to school my mother would purchase school supplies and take them to Long Neck Elementary.  It seems so fitting that so many organizations that my mom supported / lived near and cared about have come together to help honor her memory.  My mother was always a child advocate.  Her mother died in her early teens and my mother and her siblings were sent to live in an orphanage in DC.  Later teens, she was sent to a foster home to live and help care for the family’s children.  My mother NEVER used her childhood as an excuse instead she took her misfortune and became the best, most amazing person I have ever known.  My mother was incredibly loyal, she was incredibly supportive, and she was a wonderful mom and Nana.

After my mother left us last year, my children and my nieces brought all my mom’s donations to County Bank for her.  It was then that we dreamed of this day, officially changing the name of Nana’s Kids Campaign.  When I approached Patrick Miller a couple months ago with the idea, I was so excited that he thought this was something we could bring in the local community to collaborate on.  So I thank all the local organizations for coming together to support my family, and the kids of this community.  My mother loved to support organizations in her local community, she felt like everyone could make a difference in someone’s life.  Even if it’s not financially, even if it’s just smiling at the meanest person you know until you finally get them to smile back at you.  To honor our mother, my sister and I reached out to our family and friends with a request for warm clothing/toys and monetary donations to kick off the Nana’s Kids Campaign in Gudger style.  As you can see by the amount of amazing toys and warm clothes behind me, our friends absolutely out did themselves.  I remain overwhelmed at the quality donations that we received from our fantastic friends.  I truly believe my mom would be so honored her community has chosen to honor her as well as our friends and family so graciously standing besides us.  Most of the local community did not have the opportunity to know my mother, and they only know her as a horrible story on the news or in the paper.  But when you look behind me – THIS is my mother – THIS is why my mother was about… this is her legacy--- friendship, helping someone out and taking a stand.

Most will never understand how much this means to my sister and I or how much this honor would mean to my mother.  But I hope the donations we bring to you tonight will help foster and help carry on the tradition she felt so strongly about.  My sister and I would like to thank Patrick and the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, County Bank, Long Neck Elementary School, Millie and the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Orchard-Riverdale, the Community Church of Oak Orchard, the members of the Nanticoke Indian Association and all the other corporate and community partner that are participating.

I asked Pam Shockley from County Bank, who shares my mom’s passion for the toy drive to come help me with the check presentation.  While she also works at County Bank – she was so incredibly kind to both my parents and both my parents adored her.  This was something that my mom shared with Pam; she would take pride in bringing all the toys and bikes, etc. into the branch year.

Therefore, I am honored on behalf of myself and my sister, Teresa Gudger, as well as our family and friends to present the toys and clothes you see behind us – these donations are valued at $4,800 as well as check to Patrick for the Inaugural year of the Nana’s Kids Campaign – in the amount of $7,150 bringing a combined donation of checks, toys and clothing of approximately $12,000 to the Oak Orchard, Riverdale and Long Neck community in my mother’s name.

The community partners are extremely blessed with the support and particpation for this project and wish to acknowledge our gratitude and appreciation.  Thank you for keeping Nana and Nana's Kids in your hearts.

You may find additional information via the following website:

(1) WGMD Radio Station 92.7 - www.wgmd.com

http://www.wgmd.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=1491

The family and friends of the late Dorothy Gudger helped to kick off Nana’s Kids Campaign this week in Oak Orchard.  Dottie Gudger’s daughter, Carol Taylor, made the inaugural contribution from her family and friends – with a pile of toys that Santa would envy – and a check for over $7000.  The annual Toy Drive has been renamed for Dottie, who would buy toys year round for the children – along with school supplies and other needed items.  You can donate to the campaign by the donation receptacles at County Bank Long Neck, the Parade of Trees at Grotto Pizza Long Neck.  You can also donate directly to the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Orchard/Riverdale, Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, County Bank or Community Church of Oak Orchard. 

Additional articiles and publication include the following:

Nana’s Kids Campaign - In memory of Dorothy Gudger

Community Remembers Dorothy Gudger

Over the past years, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company in conjunction with County Bank, Long Neck Elementary School, the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Orchard-Riverdale, the Community Church of Oak Orchard, the members of the Nanticoke Indian Association and many other corporate and community partners has fostered a campaign to generate gifts, clothing, food and other family necessities for our local residents that may have fallen on unfortunate times. We have also annually participated in the Grotto Pizza’s Parade of Trees to generate resources for our favorite charities.

This year is no exception; we have collaborated with all of the aforementioned partners as well as formed a mutual agreement to rename the annual Toy Drive to Nana’s Kids Campaign.

This Nana’s Kids Campaign is considered a tradition of goodwill to honor Dorothy Gudger, affectionately known as Nana amongst her dearest loved ones.

Nana (Dottie) was an extremely generous woman, who gave unselfishly to many community children and organizations. Nana would shop all year long for needs items such as toys, clothing, coats, etc. for children and their families that benefited from the County Bank and Indian River fire company annual drives.

Pam Shockley, a County Bank teller at the Long Neck Branch stated “…Mrs. Gudger was the epitome of what the spirit of Christmas is about… For as long as I can remember, she always made sure kids had gifts to open on Christmas by donating to the fire company toy drive. Her kindness, gentle and giving spirit, and love of all people were blessings to all of us. Dottie has instilled that same spirit into her grandchildren, who now carry on her legacy of donating toys to the fire company toy drive campaign. We just felt that it was important to remember and honor Dottie at this time.”

Nana was raised in foster care during her late teens and personally chose this annual drive to be her favorite charity and she never unwanted anyone to feel unimportant.

Therefore, it is the hope of the aforementioned community entities that formed this partnership to amend the name of the campaign drive to Nana’s Kids to celebrate the memory and honor Dorothy Gudger whose sudden demise was a great shock and a tragic loss to the local community.

It is our hope that you will share in these efforts to honor the memories of Nana and contribute to the Nana’s Campaign via donation receptacles County Bank, or via the Parade of Trees at Grotto Pizza – Long Neck. These contributions will support the various local charities and carry out the memory of Dorothy (Dottie) Gudger, affectionately known as Nana.

Please remember that the tree at the Long Neck Grotto Pizza that has touched the local community over the past year and raised awareness of charitable giving and some understanding for the less fortunate.

The staff of the Long Neck branch of County Bank chose to recognize Nana’s Kids through selecting the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company’s toy drive initiative as their local charity to support. Gudger was a long-time contributor to the local toys for needy children campaigns in the Oak Orchard-Long Neck communities through County Bank.

Donations collected at the Grotto Long Neck location for County Bank’s tree will be given to the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company in honor of Gudger so that the firemen can continue Gudger’s acts of generosity through contributions of needy children in the local communities. You may also contribute directly to the following entities:

(1) Boys & Girls Club of Oak Orchard/Riverdale;

(2) Indian River Volunteer Fire Company - Oak Orchard & Long Neck;

(3) County Bank; and

(4) Community Church of Oak Orchard.

“We encourage everyone to stop in at any of the participating Grotto locations and take part in this wonderful tradition,” said Shockley. “There are so many great and deserving charities being sponsored and some beautifully decorated trees too. But,” adds Shockley with a smile, “you can probably guess which tree is my favorite!”

For more information on the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, go to www.irvfc.com.

The Nana’s Kids logo was developed and designed by Rogers Signs of Milton, Delaware. 

Additional information may be obtained by viewing:

(1)   http://www.irvfc.com/gallery.cfm?id=928

(2)   http://wp.wgmd.com/?p=74635

Annual Toy Drive Renamed to Honor Oak Orchard Woman

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company and other local organizations have renamed the annual Toy Drive in honor of Dorothy Gudger – who was known to many as Nana.  She would shop all year to be sure area children and their families benefited from the several drives for coats, toys and more.  Nana’s Kid Campaign is now underway with receptacles at County Bank, the Parade of Trees at Grotto Pizza-Long Neck.  You can also contribute directly to the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Orchard/Riverdale, Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, County Bank and the Community Church of Oak Orchard.  The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company and other local organizations have renamed the annual Toy Drive in honor of Dorothy Gudger – who was known to many as Nana.  She would shop all year to be sure area children and their families benefited from the several drives for coats, toys and more.  Nana’s Kids Campaign is now underway with receptacles at County Bank, the Parade of Trees at Grotto Pizza-Long Neck.  You can also contribute directly to the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Orchard/Riverdale, Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, County Bank and the Community Church of Oak Orchard.