Foreign Coins for Handicap Children

[Anonymous]

It's that time of year again and I just wanted to remind all that this will be the 9th year to visit the Texas Lions Camp for Handicap Children in Kerrville, Texas around the third week of June as we do each year.
For those of you that don't know of this, it is open to anyone in our hobby to come and help us introduce metal detecting to these blind, deaf and wheelchaired children attending the camp. Our visit is two folded, while there we teach the children of that session the joys of metal detecting and show them it is an outdoor recreation that they can do even with their inflictions. Also, since nine years ago, several manufacturers, individuals, dealers and the Texas Council of Treasure Clubs, Inc. (who sponsor this event for the last nine years) donated to the children's camp many newer models of metal detectors so that the children can have this activity as a scheduled event each session during the summer. The Camp see's about 7000 kids per season and now the metal detecting fun class is a scheduled event for each session and is the reason we also train the counselors how to use the detectors as well.
However, in order for this event to continue and make these children happy and teach them there is a sport they can participate in, we need your help. Each year many of you have been kind enough to donate your foreign coins to these children. These are coins that the children have never seen before and at the same time educates the children to other countries coinage they use.
I can not explain to you the joyous look in these children's eyes when they find their first coin with a metal detector. I can only invite you to share in this with us. We will post the exact dates on our website at: www.texascouncil.com shortly. Please consider yourself invited to this wonderful event with the children, it will change your life. Please we need your donation of foreign coins (only) for these children's excitement and education. If you have any questions, please contact me. You can send the coins directly to me at: Keith Wills, 210 S. Montgomery St., Gilmer, TX. 75644 kwills@worldnet.att.net Thanks you so much! Keith

 

[Anonymous]

I have over 5 pounds of foreign coins that I will be sending to this deserving cause. Can they use a guidebook to foreign coins as well? D.B.C.

 

[Anonymous]

D.B.C., sorry for the delay in answering you here, been real busy on the Virginia problem as president of WWATS. Yes the kids can use the coins and it is very much appreciated. Your donation helps to keep the handicap children this activity through the summer session and that is a very great thing. For every kid that goes to the camp, over 4000 a summer, gets a chance because of your donation and others like you to use a metal detector for the very first time. I can not explain the look on these kids faces, when they find that first foreign coin. Some of the kids are blind and can hear the beep and run their hands down the shaft of the detector and feel through the dirt till they find that coin. Some kids are deaf and they feel the vibration of the detector speaker or we use a light in the headphone jack for them to see when they hit a target. Many of the other children are in wheelchairs or on crutches and we not only teach them how to use a metal detector, but how to retrieve the target from where they set. Whatever their problem, we show them and their counslors that there is an recreational sport they can do with their handicap. The kids tell us that it is the most fun they have at the camp. By showing the counslors as we teach the kids, then the counslors can continue the activity after we leave for the rest of the sessions that summer. However again that is only possible because of fine folks like yourself that is willing to give up their foreign coins to help those kids. You have our deepest thanks and appreciation and I'm sure the camp would love a foreign coin book to help the kids identify what coins they have found. I can't tell you how many times we are asked "what country did my coin come from?" Thanks again for your very kind heart. Keith Wills