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SIERRA VISTA — The Sierra Vista San Pedro Kiwanis, through its foundation of Just Kids Inc., has been helping the youth of the greater Sierra Vista area for two decades through various projects.
One of the most successful of these fundraisers is the annual Sizzle, an evening especially programed for women and catered by various dignitaries (waiters) who wait on the ladies throughout the evening’s events.
The evening is filled with events that include diving for prizes, raffles, split the pot, silent auction and gaming events.
But its effect also can be felt during the holiday season, when stockings are stuffed with gifts bought with the money that is raised.
  
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Sizzle: A year in planning
Sizzle started in 1990 with Judy Goyer as the chairperson. The first Sizzle’s proceeds went to CASA, but from 1991 through the present, it has been held to benefit the Stocking Stuffer Program of Just Kids Inc.
The first Sizzle had 75 women in attendance and brought in approximately $3,000.
Each Sizzle has a theme, which many of the ladies in attendance take seriously, dressing for the occasion.
“It’s either a formal dress or theme costume,” said Rusty Smith, this year’s Sizzle chairperson.
The Sizzle committee recommends two or three themes that are submitted to the Sizzle chairperson, who in turn has it voted on by the Just Kids, Inc. Board for final approval.
There have been 16 different chairpersons, with three of them, Linda Patronaggio in 1991 and 1992, Debby DeRosa in 1998 and 2006, and Barbara Mosher in 2001 and 2002, chairing the event twice.
Some of the themes over the years have included “Hot City Nights,” “USS Sizzle Alaska Cruise,” “A Night in the Orient,” “Medieval Magic” and last year’s “A Tribute to American Musicals.”
Entertainment is included in the evening’s program, as is a full course meal, all for the price of a $65 ticket.
All but three of the past 19 Sizzle events have been held at the Windemere Hotel and Convention Center. Those three exceptions were in 1995 when it was held on Fort Huachuca, and 2006 and 2007 when it was held at The Palms.
“We started planning for next year’s 20th Anniversary Sizzle right after this year’s Sizzle ended,” Smith said. “We have already locked in the Windemere for Sept. 19, 2009, and we will hold our first meeting in January. We meet once a month at the start, and more frequent as the event approaches.”
This year Smith had 14 committees to help put together this extravagant evening.
“Some of the committee members are on more than one committee,” Smith said. “I would say we have between 28 and 35 committee members. As you can see, it takes quite a few people to put on this event.”
Committees range from advertising and publicity to entertainment, sponsors, decorating and money-making games, to name a few.
“We try to get the entertainment to go along with the theme,” Smith said. “We had a very successful Sizzle this year with 292 women in attendance.”
“Approximate cost to run Sizzle was $14,000,” Smith added. “Our net profit was over $44,000, of which a portion is used to benefit the children of the greater Sierra Vista area through the Just Kids Inc. Stocking Stuffer Program.”
And there are many people who take part.
“Waiters play a big role in Sizzle,” waiter coordinator B.J. Moore said. “They provide a gracious welcome to the guests, offering a guided tour of the entertainment and activities available to them during the evening.”
The waiters serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres to the guests and, although they do not serve food, they make sure their table has all the amenities.
“Our waiters are a major part of the success of Sizzle and we choose our waiters with a great deal of care,” Moore said. “They are all volunteers and come from the business and professional men in our community. They have a real sense of what we are trying to accomplish and they give us their full support. Many come back year after year.”
The waiters, approximately 33 to 36 of them, are dressed in tuxedos, required to attend an orientation meeting and also donate $25 to Just Kids Inc.
“All their tips, and the ladies in attendance are encouraged to be very generous with their tipping, goes to Just Kids Inc.,” Moore said. “They bring in upwards to $2,500. These men work hard to make our efforts a success and do themselves and our community proud.”
Using the money to benefit kids
After all is said and done with the actual Sizzle event, it’s time to purchase the items of clothing for the children.
Names of those who are in need are received from the various school nurses and counselors in the greater Sierra Vista area.
“The names are then fed into a computer and coordinated with the Salvation Army to prevent duplication,” said Debby DeRosa, coordinator of the Stocking Stuffer shoppers.
This year, as of early November, there were 302 families representing 887 children.
“We get the name, sex, age and sizes for each child and purchase pants, shirts, shoes, socks, underwear and a coat if needed,” DeRosa said.
Approximately 80 shoppers are involved in the purchasing process.
“A lot of these shoppers have shopped for us before,” DeRosa said. “They are given the list and money and head out to various stores in the greater Sierra Vista area. Approximately $75 is spent on each child, and each group of shoppers shop for about 10 children.”
One such group, the Mom’s Club of Sierra Vista East, was headed by Torrin Stephenson, who helped with the Stocking Stuffer Program purchases in the past. Stephenson had three other women from her club, Kelly McMillan, Jennifer Garcia and Heather Bird, who volunteered to help purchase the merchandise.
Another area the Stocking Stuffer program receives help and donations from is the Adopt a Child or Family Program. This is where an individual or family, various service clubs and churches, etc., purchase clothes on their own from the lists submitted.
The next to the last stage in the Stocking Stuffer Program is the wrapping.
This year it took place on Dec. 6 and Saturday and had upward of 75 volunteers wrapping the clothes.
“We have men, women and children helping with the wrapping,” wrapping coordinator Sam Nieuwenhuis said. “They range in age from 5 years to over 70. We have one young lady who started helping wrap when she was 5 years old and who is now 17.”
The gifts are wrapped and put into a white sack with a ribbon on it, as well as the child’s name and a code. The sacks are then put in groups by location ready to be picked up and delivered, which brings us to the last step of the year-long project.
Delivering the gifts takes place a few days before Christmas. One individual instrumental in the delivery process is John Wilson, who has been in charge of organizing the delivery for approximately 20 years.
“I put together maps of the routes with the names of the children, their address and telephone numbers and organize the bags of gifts so that those who come to pick up the bags know just where to go,” Wilson said. “The organizers of the Stocking Stuffer program have this system down to a fine tuning.”
“Some of the gifts are delivered by the Harley Owners Group, commonly known as the HOGs’,” who have been delivering the gifts for several years,” San Pedro Kiwanian Emma Lee DeRosa said. “Usually we get about a dozen or so of these motorcyclists involved with the delivery of the gifts.”
“All in all, I would say that from the start to finish of the Stocking Stuffer program we have approximately 500 volunteers and 20 organizations helping out,” DeRosa said.
This year delivery date is set for Dec. 20.
Herald/Review reporter Kevin Carolan can be reached at 515-4621 or by e-mail at svhnews@transedge.com.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donations to the Stocking Stuffer program, in any amount, is always welcomed and can be made by check to Just Kids Inc., P.O. Box 2062, Sierra Vista AZ 85636.
First time Sizzler wrote on Dec 16, 2008 12:37 PM: