Box 3, Folder 17, Document 60

Box 3, Folder 17, Document 60

They cared about nearly a hundred little
Negro children they didn’t even know. They
were stirred by the plight of little «rs who
live skimpy lives in a shabby piri of-‘~vn,
shut off from outings and expeditions and car-
nival good times that are a part of growing up.
And they did something about it. They sent
over 500 books of green stamps, $5 checks and
one dollar bills and $10 checksxend one $50
check so the children of Bower Homes Head
Start day care center could go to Six Flags
Over Georgia.

The green stamp people themselves were
moved by the desire of the children tp have a
day-long outing at Six Feege sto csep sent
100,000 stamps, amounting to 60 books.

“We haven't been able to think of the words
to say thank you,” said Mrs. Frances Wyatt,
director of the school. ‘We've been so busy
opening the mail. It’s been a revelation to me.
I didn’t know things like this happened. And



Tina Usher Prepares to Devour Ice :

Cream at Six Flags

Celestina: Silley

A Hundred Happy Kids

Pride of country and pleasure in one’s countrymen would seem to be

a good prescription for a Fourth of July holiday. Our founding fathers
must have thought’ when the United States was a-borning that such a
young, vital, idealist little country would be filled with citizens who like
and enjoy and care about one another.
. what from that dream. But for at least six or seven hundred readers of

The Constiitution it’s true — and they should have the happiest possible celebration today.

Alas, we grew and departed some-

the children ..
they are!”’

I did see. Bill Wilson, our photographer, and
I went out to Six Flags. Don Daniel of the pub-
licity staff met us and took us to the gate
where the Bowen Homes Head Starters would
be coming through. We saw them coming—&5
little dark-skinned youngsters, looking spruce
and clean and combed and hair-ribboned and
polished. They clung to the hands of mothers
and teachers and volunteers, who, thanks to
your generosity, were able to come along too.

The turnstile gate was a bafflement to most
of the children and Don explained it and helped
them through it one at the time, murmuring
words of encouragement and welcome, Once
inside the children stopped and stood stock
still, gazing in wonderment at little railroad
trains chugging over a trestle, old-timey auto-
mobiles driven by children along a big track,
an Englishman ringing a bell, a band playing,
great tubs of gardenias blooming and filling
the air with perfume. They caught a glimpse of
air-borne cable carts moving across the sky
and the fine, ineffable fragrance of hamburg-
ers rose from a nearby sandwich shop.

They didn’t push or run about or squeal like
most of the three-to-six-year-olds I know. They
moved quietly, nudged along by the hands of
adults, but their faces were alive with excite-
ment and awe. When I left them they were to
take a train ride. After that they had a mari-
onette show and the musical revue at the Crys-
tal Pistol before them. They were going to
lunch at one of the score of eating places there
—a “boughten” lunch, which was an entirely
new experience or most of them. The center ,
had at first planned to take lunch but the
money you all sent convinced them the chil-
dren should have a totally glamorous day and I
think they had it.

And there are stamps left—so many that
Mrs. Wyatt thinks the center may use them to
buy a television set.

All of you who helped ...
have seen them,
thanks enough

- you should see how excited

I wish you could
too. It would have been