By Kim Lambert
Dunn Daily Record
HARNETT COUNTY – An extremely popular nonprofit organization has shuttered in recent months.
The To Make a Child Smile (TMACS) organization – whose members have been serving Harnett County for more than 16 years – has disbanded.
Its co-founders, Gary and Barbara Hughes, say it’s time.
“It’s just unfortunate with times changing the way they have,” Gary Hughes said. “The pandemic really put a damper on things for two years, not to mention the economy. Another thing we hated was to hear that Toys ‘R Us and Cary Towne Center closed down, too. That’s where we always took the kids for their Christmas shopping spree.”
Founded as a 501c3 in 2006, the foundation has benefited thousands of less-fortunate children in the area. What once began as the Angier couple treating a few less-fortunate children to a Christmas spree grew exponentially. The number of children participating increased ten-fold since the Hughes’ inaugural shopping spree during 2002.
With guidance from Harnett County school officials, 100 students each Christmas were selected and treated to a full day of surprises. The youngsters embarked on chaperoned mall visits, personal Christmas goodies, hot meals, canned foods to take home, a visit with Santa and much more.
Debbie and Jesse Cann from The Santa and Friends Ministry called the TMACS one of their “all-time favorite organizations whose efforts have touched a lot of lives over the years.” Disguised as Santa and Mrs. Claus, they would meet the children for lunch at Angier Elementary, posing for photos and distributing Bibles to each of the 100 designees. Those age-appropriate Bibles were generously donated annually by congregants from several Angier churches.
“The organization has been beneficial to so many children for quite a long time,” Debbie Cann said. “What’s even more touching is that, not only did the foundation impact the children, but I really believe the folks who volunteered received an even greater blessing in the process.”
She shared one of her fondest memories from the shopping sprees.
“I’ll never forget one year, a little boy tugged on Santa’s coat and asked if he would autograph his brand new Bible,” she said. “It was the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. You can imagine, then, a line formed and all of these sweet children were all asking for Santa’s autograph at the front of their Bibles.”
‘Rewarding experience’
He also cited the efforts of volunteer drivers from a local bus company. He said not only did they donate their time and money, but they safely ushered kids and chaperons to and from the Cary venues free of charge. Even during the pandemic, they, and volunteers, shopped for, and surprised, youngsters during the quarantine. In recent years, TMACS board members credit the Apex and Holly Springs Walmarts where associates provided complimentary snacks for participants.
For Angier native Cindy Hunter — who has served on the TMACS board for several years — the dissolution comes with other opportunities.
“I am thankful to Gary and Barbara for starting this special foundation, bringing our community together in exhibiting selfless giving. We will look at this as an opportunity to find other areas of need and another chance to give back to our community,” Cindy Hunter said. “It’s sad there’ll be no more TMACS Christmas shopping trips, but we’re thankful for the blessings. It’s been an honor to touch the lives of so many.”
For the founders, its disbanding is bittersweet.
Gary Hughes said, “We would love to see our mission carry on. In fact, we’d be glad to talk to anyone willing to take this over. We’ve enjoyed every minute we’ve spent just to see those children’s smiles. It really made our — and so many other’s — Christmases.”
Kim Lambert is a former reporter with The Daily Record and former editor of The Angier Independent.
Talk about indoctrination!