The Town of Smithtown Recreation & Senior Citizens Departments will host the annual Tender Years Treasury, holiday shopping experience for children on Saturday, December 2 at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizens Center, 420 Middle Country Road, Smithtown from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The popular event allows kids to independently shop for family gifts, all handmade by local seniors, modestly priced at $5 and under.
“This is such a special event, where our older, very talented generations present homemade gift items to our youngest residents. The kids love the thrill of shopping independently, while surprising family and school friends with a special gift they hand picked with allowance money. All of the items are handmade with care, by local, incredibly talented senior citizens, reasonably priced at $5 or less. The team at Smithtown Recreation & the Senior Citizens Department love putting this annual event together and it shows on the faces of everyone participating. I love taking my grandkids to this event every year. If you haven’t experienced it yet… I highly recommend you save the date,” said Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.
The festivities include an upscale boutique, cookie decorating, holiday crafts, a homemade quilt raffle, balloon sculptures, and free gift wrapping. Adults can relax in a waiting area while kids independently choose their holiday gifts for family and friends. Additionally, children can bring a letter to Santa Claus, with return address information to receive a letter from the North Pole in return.
Children, grades K-5, are chaperoned by Smithtown Senior Center & Recreation Department staff as they make their own decisions on purchasing handcrafted gifts made by local senior citizens. The gift items are all priced at five dollars and under. Parents and/or older siblings will have the option of walking extra little shoppers around after 12:45 p.m. For further details, call Smithtown Recreation at 631-360-7644.
“This event is always so well received by the community. We have so many incredibly gifted senior residents, all of whom are remarkably talented at making hand-crafted gift items. I had the pleasure of speaking with a few of our center’s quilters last week. The quality in craftsmanship leaves you speechless. I can’t wait to see who participates this year… The Tender Years Treasury gives kids the chance to shop for family and friends using their own allowance money, without ruining the surprise. The lesson in independence, combined with multiple generations of Smithtown community members, all coming together to keep the magic of the holiday season an everlasting tradition, makes this event truly unique and beloved by all,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.
