KITCHEN HANDS OUT GIFTS TO LOCAL CHILDREN AT HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE

            PHILADELPHIA, December 23 – Just days before Christmas, state Sen. Shirley Kitchen carried out her annual tradition of handing out toys, hats, scarves and other gifts to hundreds of local children at the Olde Kensington Lehigh Senior Center, 1701 W. Lehigh Avenue., last Saturday.

            “I always look forward to seeing the joy in the children’s faces when they receive a new toy or a warm pair of gloves,” said Kitchen, who has been organizing this annual event for 12 years. “Every child deserves to have a Merry Christmas, so this toy event is one way that needy children have a gift to open this holiday season.” Senator Kitchen personally purchased items for the children.    

             Alex Simmons, writer for Archie Comics, handed out and signed free copies of the Archie comic: The Cartoon Life of Chuck Clayton. Chuck Clayton takes center stage in this special storyline when he is asked to teach an after-school program in cartooning to elementary school kids. Simmons, the author of this multi-part epic, is a children's art advocate and organizer of the "Kids' Comics" convention.

            “I’m so pleased that Alex could participate in the toy drive because he is a role model for youth and an advocate for reading,” Kitchen said. “By handing out comic books to the children, he gave them a gift that will entice them to read and inspire them with his positive messages in his comics.” 

            His appearance was sponsored by the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention STARS (Storytelling That Advances Reading Skills) program, which conducts comic book workshops to encourage literacy and creativity in youth.