Community Corner
Steve Wilkos Wraps Up Holiday Joy
Yesterday, nationally syndicated talk show host Steve Wilkos put on his Santa hat to wrap gifts for Saint Luke's LifeWorks holiday gift drive.
Tuesday afternoon, Steve Wilkos, host of the nationally syndicated talk show “The Steve Wilkos Show” and former director of security on "The Jerry Springer Show," joined ’ holiday volunteers and staff to wrap gifts for the .
“Are these all for me?” Wilkos joked with his signature smile as he entered the lobby of the Stamford Media Center.
“They’re all because of you!” Takeia McAlister, holiday gift collection manager at St. Luke’s LifeWorks, fired back.
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Armed with a table full of wrapping paper, ribbons, and toys of all shapes and sizes piled around the table, McAlister quickly put Wilkos to work. Fourth grader Robynn Wilson joined Wilkos for a gift wrapping race under the tree
Wilson and her mother, Ro Booker, are volunteers who help out with the St. Luke’s LifeWorks Holiday Toy Drive every year.
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"This was another opportunity to help out," Booker said. "We enjoy doing it."
“The children receiving these gifts are homeless, living in poverty, or from families affected by HIV/AIDS,” McAlister said. “What we’re doing today is all good fun, but it does more than you know.”
As St. Luke’s LifeWorks staff and volunteers cheered on the pair of holiday wrappers and Wilkos tacked wrapping a Hello Kitty backpack, he and McAlister laughed over his lack of gift wrapping skills.
“I thought it was the thought that counts?” Wilkos laughed. “Obviously gift wrapping is not my forte, but I do get into the spirit of Christmas a lot.”
NBC Universal’s Stamford Media Center and Productions holds an ongoing gift drive during the holiday season and provided 50 children with holiday gifts last year through Saint Luke’s LifeWorks.
“They go above and beyond,” Alister said.
Saint Luke’s LifeWorks holiday gift collection will provide personalized and wrapped gifts to 2,750 children all over Fairfield County this season, and they still need help to make this possible.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to provide gifts for my kids at Christmas,” Wilkos, whose own children are six and eight years old, said. “A lot of families are struggling right now. This gift drive is a great thing.”
