Dr. Piper Center to hold 110th Christmas Day celebration
Children will once again feel the magic of Christmas in Fort Myers as the Dr. Piper Center holds its 110th Annual Christmas Day Celebration.
The celebration will be from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 25, at the center at 2607 Dr. Ella Piper Way, Fort Myers.
Those who wish to participate are invited to come out, sign up, and take part,
The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation is the Title Legacy Sponsor for the sixth consecutive year.
Dr. Piper Center for Social Services, Inc. Director of Development Irvine Bourdeau said Suncoast Credit Union Foundation is making sure children in need are able to feel the Christmas spirit: They are focusing “on taking care of our children this Christmas.”
Bourdeau said they are truly grateful for Suncoast Credit Union and the Fort Myers Police Department as they are a tremendous help for the celebration.
Board member Shavon Chester said one of the things that they love to stress is the legacy of Dr. Ella Mae Piper and the work she did in the Dunbar community. She said she was ahead of her time when she moved to the Fort Myers area in the early 1900s.
Piper grew her own personal business as a foot doctor, owned her own bottling company, as well as beauty shop.
“There are actually historical accounts where individuals would walk by Dr. Piper’s house and they could see Thomas Edison sleeping on the front porch because his wife was getting her hair down,” Chester said.
She said for a woman, as well as a woman of color, in the 1900s to accomplish these things is quite frankly unheard of. Chester said she was a philanthropist – putting children through college, investing in the first black hospital in the City of Fort Myers, as well as investing in her church and other people’s churches.
“We always point them to Dr. Piper and the legacy that she built of giving in the Southwest Florida community,” Chester said.
Dr. Piper’s mother, Sarah Williams, who worked at the Heitman home, was living with her daughter in 1915. She said when they looked around the community of Dunbar Heights, Williams wanted to do something for the young girls in the community who would have otherwise not have had a Christmas celebration.
“They opened their home to 15 girls and served them a complete Christmas dinner and then opened toys that were purchased by Dr. Piper and her mom,” Chester said. “One-hundred and ten years later this tradition has continued uninterrupted. During COVID, we still had a Christmas celebration. Post various hurricanes, we still had a Christmas celebration. We’ve done it in the rain, and in the cold. We are out there for the community.”
Last year the annual Christmas Day Celebration had 414 children registered, but believes it reached more children, as they stopped registration at a certain point.
“Our goal this year is 500 kids,” Bourdeau said, although they never put a limit on how many children they provide gifts for Christmas morning.
In addition to providing toys, they also hold a bike raffle during the celebration. This year the goal is to provide 250 bikes.
“We are looking for bike donations and people to volunteer on Christmas morning,” she said.
They would like to receive bikes by Dec. 12 but can accept them up to Dec. 22.
Chester said a highlight from years prior that touched her to the core was a result of the bicycle raffle during the celebration. She said the year after the raffle, a participant came up to her saying you do not know me, but I won the raffle last year and it helped me get a part-time job at Publix to help my mom. That part-time job was a result of winning the brand-new bike.
“It stops me in my tracks. That is why we do it. We do it because the kids will show up Christmas morning in their pajamas — clearly their parents woke them up and brought them to The Piper Center,” Chester said, adding that many of the children would not have an opportunity to enjoy Christmas otherwise. “If they show up on Christmas morning, they can provide something special for their children, and it won’t cost them a dime.”
Parents begin lining up between 5:30-6 a.m. Christmas morning and the doors open at 8 a.m. for the children to go shopping for their gifts.
The event continued even after Williams passed away, and Dr. Piper.
“When Dr. Piper passed away, the community jumped in,” Chester said, as many of the adults had received the generosity from the two women as young children. “A lot of the churches in the Dunbar community who have been around for 100 years all continued the tradition of handing out toys on Christmas Day.”
When the Dr. Piper Center opened, the center took over the tradition.
Now the celebration not only attracts children, but many families that want to give back and volunteer their time Christmas morning. Those interested in giving their time can do so by visiting www.drpipercenter.org/christmas-celebration, or can call (239) 332-5346
Chester said the city of Fort Myers mayor is always in attendance, as well as Chief Jason Fields.
“The community comes together – generously comes together,” she said.
Among the volunteer jobs is to go “shopping” with children, who do not get handed a wrapped gift, but are walked through a toy room to decide what they would like to take home.
The “runner” acts as their personal shopper as they walk behind the child with a bag to drop in their toys of choice.
“The look on a child when they walk into the toy room and see all of the toys on display and are told they can pick anything they want, and can pick multiple items, is truly a sight to behold,” she said.
When the parent registers their child the morning of the celebration, both the child and parent receive a wristband with a specific number. The runner will pick up the child from the entrance and, when they are done, they will match up the wristband with the parent at the exit. She said shopping without a parent helps the child pick out exactly what they want without being persuaded one way or another.
In addition to the toys, Bourdeau said the children also receive a snack bag, as Dr. Piper used to feed the children on Christmas. There are also activities outside to keep families entertained while waiting.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com