THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 18, 1995 TAG: 9512160050
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Maddry
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
THE INK HAD barely dried on a recent column about having to wrap my dog in Christmas paper - in order to get the presents done - when a fax hit my desk.
It was from Sandy Cameron, the public affairs coordinator for the American Red Cross. She wrote that 300 volunteers will be wrapping presents at the AMC Gift Wrap stand in Lynnhaven Mall this year.
She said she had a solution for my all-thumbs wrapping problems.
``We don't wrap dogs, but we do most everything else,'' she said.
I asked her if the wrapping team accepted challenges.
``Sure,'' she replied. ``If you've got something that's really difficult to wrap, just bring it along.''
I didn't, but it set my mind whirring. What would be a gift to vex even the most talented present wrapper?
Editor Fred Kirsch thought a set of bagpipes might do it. Then we kicked around one of those stars with a zillion points on it. Finally we settled on a floor lamp with long arms that tilt and go every which way, with hoods covering the light bulbs.
That lamp would offer a Maalox moment for anyone trying to do it up for Christmas, we figured.
Next day I lugged my heavy lamp with the swivel arms projecting from the shaft up the mall steps - the elevator was too crowded for it - to the second floor.
Eight women were in the American Red Cross Gift Wrap shop. The volunteers didn't blink when I set the lamp down with a thud. Then I challenged them to hide what it was. And to make it look like Christmas.
The women brought out ribbon, wrapping paper, tape and scissors and went to work in a hurry.
Before I could get my coat hung up - they park coats at no charge for folks getting packages wrapped - they had placed bright red paper around the base. And had begun twirling ribbon around the shaft until it looked a little like a May pole.
The women have raised about $70,000 for the Red Cross since starting their holiday wrapping project seven years ago. (They wrapped at another mall before moving to Lynnhaven.)
Frances Coppin of Chesapeake has been doing the volunteer stint at Christmas for the past five years.
``I enjoy it,'' she said. ``You get to see what people are buying to give others and sometimes get a good idea for someone on your own list.''
She recalled some amusing moments on the job. She remembered a young man who was giving his sweetie an engagement ring for Christmas.
``It was a diamond ring,'' she said. ``He asked us to box and wrap the ring, then put it inside a bigger box, wrap that one, and put it inside an even bigger box and so on.''
In the end there were six boxes, all wrapped, the largest about 3 by 3 feet.
And then there was the elderly gent who walked in and had quite a few boxes containing clothes purchases for his wife.
``Did you know these clothes are not all the same size?'' he was asked.
``Yes,'' the man replied.
``Well,'' the volunteer asked, ``would you like for us to take the price tags off for you?''
``It really doesn't matter,'' he explained. ``No matter what I buy, my wife always brings it back after Christmas!''
The wrap prices range from $2 for a small box to $7.50 for an oversized coat box.
Within the past two weeks they had gotten an interesting request.
Faith Lankford, who coordinates the wrapping operation for the Red Cross, said a man walked in with a pair of diamond earrings.
``He said they were for his 11-year-old daughter,'' she recalled. The volunteers bit their lips and didn't say anything. But most believed the earrings were a poor choice for an 11-year-old.
``Are your daughter's ears pierced?'' a volunteer asked. The man didn't know.
``Then he told us he was divorced,'' Faith said. He said his daughter lives with her mother. And that since he doesn't see her much, he likes to spoil her at Christmas.''
Before I'd finished writing it all down, the lamp was wrapped. They did a good job of disguising what was inside the paper. Looked a little like a bird cage on a stand.
The wrap passed muster, too. As I carried it to the parking lot, three or four people stopped me. ``What in the world is that?'' they asked.
Nice folks at that wrap shop. Drop by some time. It's for a good cause. by CNB