EAST ALTON - A local woman’s generosity put smiles on kindergarten and first-grade students last week at Eastwood Elementary School in East Alton.

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After collecting Barbie dolls for a number of years, long time East Alton resident Vickie Merwin realized she had acquired more than she could possibly enjoy. Truthfully, Merwin just wanted to make sure the girls had fun with the to classic collectible items.

“She came into the board office and approached our secretary and asked if we had some girls that could enjoy her dolls,” Eastwood Elementary School Principal Matt Stimac said before the toy giveaway.

“She donated just enough Barbies for all of the girls in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms to receive one,” he said. “It makes me so happy that someone thought enough of our students to bring them toys. It’s really going to put a smile on some of these kids’ faces.”

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Fifth-grade students who make up Eastwood Elementary’s Student Leadership Council assisted Mr. Stimac and their teachers by wrapping and and passing out the gifts one by one to each girl in the classrooms.

The boys were not left out in all of the holiday cheer. Every single boy in each Kindergarten and first grade class also received wrapped Hot Wheels toys to enjoy along with the girls.

“It really shows the generosity of the people in East Alton,” Mr. Stimac said. “It also shows how supportive so many of our community members are to our school.”

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