The image is still fresh in Bobbie Hall Pate’s mind.
“I would drive by the Allied Churches’ Homeless Shelter every Wednesday and on this particular day, a cute little boy, maybe 3 years old or so, was sitting outside the shelter waiting to go in. As I drove by, I wondered what their story was.”
The interaction between the young child and his mother stayed with Pate when she and her sister, Tommie Hall Wingate, were trying to decide what to do with some money their mom, Peggy “Peg” Hall, had left them after she died.
“We sat down and talked about it and decided that our mother would want us to do something to help others,” Pate said.
That was 2008. In spring of 2009, Peg’s PJs was born. Bobbie began storing items in the basement of the home she shares with husband, Tom. Now a lot of the supplies are kept in Tom’s warehouse at work.
Since 2009, Peg’s PJs has helped more than 1,000 needy children in Alamance County.
The American Red Cross, Family Abuse Services of Alamance County, Alamance County Department of Social Services and First Presbyterian Church’s Furniture Ministry have all referred cases of children in need to Pate through the years. Children have received pajamas, underwear, sheets, blankets, toiletries including shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, all in a drawstring bag with a laminated luggage tag attached that says “Good night from Peg’s PJs.”
Pate’s son told her that this is a legacy that will continue for years to come.
“I tear up when I think about him saying that one day they will tell their children, and maybe their grandchildren, about how much this meant to them,” she said.
“These kids have no control over the situation they’re in,” she said. “This may not solve the problem, but the items in this bag are new, and they are theirs.”
The only fundraiser for Peg’s PJs is the Magnificents Band’s annual New Year’s Eve Extravaganza. This is the sixth year the band has partnered with Peg’s PJs. The band’s ninth annual New Year’s Extravaganza and second annual Masquerade Party will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 at Ramada Inn & 40 West Grille & Bar, 2703 Ramada Road, Burlington. The event includes DJ Sweetz, heavy hors d’oeuvres, party favors, and champagne at midnight. Tickets are $80 for couples, $45 for individuals and $50 at the door. A silent auction, featuring a variety of items from artwork to events in and around the area will be available. Two giving trees with gift cards from different merchants (totaling more than $300 worth of gift cards each) also will be available. Two of the larger prizes are two round-trip tickets courtesy of Jet Blue and a $2,000 queen bed set from Kingsdown. A raffle, with tickets being sold for $5 each, will be held for a $250 gift certificate from The Bird’s Nest in Burlington.
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Those wanting to dress in masquerade attire have a chance to win $300 (first place for best couple); $200 (second place for best individual) and $100 (third place for most original).
The Magnificents’ event earns about $5,000 for Peg’s PJs each year.My budget is between $4,000 and $6,000, so this means a lot,” she said.
The Magnificents played its first gig on New Year’s Eve in 1964. And it’s continued to play New Year’s Eve shows, off and on, since then.
“The original band was started in 1964 but this particular group of members re-formed in 2007. The band also re-formed in 1987 through 1995,” said Jimmy Matherly, bass guitarist and lead and background vocalist for the band said in an interview this summer prior to the band’s Musical Chairs concert series show.
The name, Matherly said, “was representative of the popular recording acts of that time such as The Temptations, The Four Tops and others.”
The band will perform a mix of soul, beach, music from the ’70s and ’80s, current dance music and a bit of rock ‘n’ roll along with a few new songs, said Clint Horton, lead and background vocalist for the band.
In addition to Matherly and Horton, the band includes Joey Barnes on drums and lead and background vocals; David Baysden on guitar and lead and background vocals; Ruffin Qualls on keyboards and Neill Clegg on saxophone.
“It’s a fun evening,” Pate said.
While The Magnificents have helped other charities through the years, this event “just works,” Horton said. “All of the money stays in Alamance County and it’s such a blessing to so many people.”
Pate’s plans for the charity include birthday parties for children, as well.
“These kids need something to make their day good,” she said. |
