TROY — The Miami County Courthouse fountain will now be used to help make Christmas wishes come true for kids.
The Miami County Commissioners decided that coins that people throw into the fountain will be collected and donated to “Christmas for Kids” fund through the county’s department of job and family services.
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“We noticed people throwing coins into the fountain,” Ted Mercer, Miami County Commissioner, said of the renovated plaza that opened in October 2020 that includes a new fountain. “We thought no better thing to do than use these coins, collecting these coins throughout the year and use it for our “Christmas for Kids” fund. We’d like to help those children who feel a little left behind, maybe a little bit in the shadows, maybe don’t get what a lot of other children get so we thought what better way than to use these coins for that.”
Once the commissioners realized that the plaza was attracting more people and seeing an increase of coins being tossed into the fountain they went to work deciding where this money would go.
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“It gives us the opportunity to give back to those who are less fortunate and dealing with problems with the brokenness of families,” Wade Westfall, Miami County Commissioner, said. “It just gives us the opportunity to sow some love in our community and in our county.”
Commission president Gregory Simmons said once they discussed the money going to the Christmas for Kids fund it seemed like a logical choice.
“I think it was real positive, everyone that we talked to thought it was a great idea,” Simmons said. “Children Services has been doing this since the 70s, giving Christmas for kids. It’s very important to all three of us.”
They don’t yet have an estimate or expectation for how much money will be donated to the fund in part because the fountain hasn’t been open for more than a year.
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“We feel if it’s only 10 dollars it’s a contribution that we want to make, but we feel there’s going to be several hundred dollars over the year that we’re going to be able to give back, that’s our hope,” Mercer said. “What better thing to do than to see the joy on those children’s faces when we’re able to help contribute to their cause at Christmas.”
The Christmas for Kids fund is managed through the Children Services Division of Job and Family Services. The program is open to families with kids ages 12 and younger.
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