St. Nicholas raises funds, gifts at annual lunch

Donated gifts piled high at St. Nicholas lunch

St. Nicholas made his annual appearance in Racine Friday, collecting toys, food and money for Tex Reynolds' Toys for Tots and the Racine County Food Bank.

St. Nick -- not to be mistaken for Santa Claus -- headlined the annual St. Nicholas lunch at Infusino's, sponsored by M&I Bank. Some 190 business people came to eat and support the two local charities. This was the sixth annual St. Nicholas lunch; in past years, M&I has raised over $10,000 plus the donated toys and foodstufs for the two charities.

Dan Taivalkoski of the food bank and Darlene Patrizzi of Toys for Tots both noted that overall donations are down this year. Taivalkoski said the pantries he stocks served more than 2,200 families in October; Patrizzi said 981 families, with 2,380 children, have already registered for Toys for Tots (registration is continuing).

Tom Gavigan, Dan Risch
and Tim Majcen, l-r

St. Nicholas, in the form of Tom Gavigan, senior vice-president of M&I here, and Tim Majcen, local president, gave the bank's annual award for outstanding community service to Dan Risch, CEO of Lincoln Lutheran, whose organization serves more than 5,000 people each year.

Besides a plaque, Risch received a red tie symbolizing the fact that St. Nicholas wore red vestments. Many luncheon attendees also wore red, making them eligible for a number of door prizes donated by Kortendick Ace Hardware.