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GODFREY - Christmas time has always been special for Taylor and Lilly Freer in regard to helping others. Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, Taylor and Lilly raised over $27,000, which has been donated to the United Way for Community Christmas.
Freer Auto Body in Godfrey has always been supportive of Community Christmas as one of its main charitable efforts. It started with the late David Freer and brother, Mike, and has continued on through Taylor and Lilly. Margaret Freer, an owner of Freer Auto Body, has also always been a driving force in the company's charitable efforts.
Margaret Freer, Taylor, and Lilly’s grandmother said the following about the money the girls raised: “Besides this, we shop year-round for sales to help those in need during the holiday. When United Way decided they were not going to collect items for Community Christmas we still felt the need and we had already collected so much. We divided the items between the Boys and Girls Club and Riverbend Head Start. We are still collecting $, gift cards, and items for our local families. The need is even greater this year. Bret Mayberry picking up for Boys and Girls Club yesterday remarked at how the girls had grown. They grew up overnight doing this. Taylor is now 17 and Lily 14. They are very kind and caring kids.”
Carrie Freer, Taylor and Lilly’s mother, said: “We normally have a fundraiser - Cookies and Cocoa for Community Christmas in December to collect toys. But with the COVID-19 Pandemic, the United Way did not want toys and coats. They wanted gift cards. We are collecting what we can for them as far as the gift cards go, but we buy year-round for community Christmas so we had all these coats and toys. Taylor and Lily selected two agencies to donate the already purchased coats and toys. They chose the Boys and Girls Club of Alton and Riverbend Head Start. So Thursday, both agencies came down to collect the items they donated.
“We could not have our normal Christmas in July event, where we sell raffle tickets for awesome prizes and Sloppy Joes, but, we were able to hold a smaller event. We sold Sloppy Joes to go, pandemic style. We could not have the raffle either, but the girls still managed to raise over $27,000 through donations from the public.
“The community has always been awesome to support the girls in both of the fundraisers we hold. The money raised in July was all given directly over to United Way/Community Christmas.”
Anyone who wishes to donate to families in need in the Riverbend area before Christmas can contact Freer Auto Body at (618) 466-5161 because donations are still being accepted because of COVID-19 and the great need this year.
