W. Clyde Hampton 
Dec. 24, 1993 
W. Clyde Hampton, 78, Of Mercer Street, Berwick, Died Friday Morning At 
Berwick Hospital Center.

A Knight-ridder Newspapers Article That Appeared In The Times Leader On Nov.

By CHRISTINE LIBERASKI; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, December 25, 1993 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1 &amp; 3A QUICK WORDS: BOOK OF DREAMS HAS
FAIRY TALE YEAR 





WILKES-BARRE -- A 12-year-old boy saved part of his allowance all year long
and helped a little girl with cerebral palsy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A former teacher wanted to reward a handicapped child's determination and
courage. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An unknown man knocked on a needy family's door, handed them a turkey and
left. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And an anonymous woman scraped together $12.12 to prove, in her words,
"Yes, my beauties, there is a Santa Claus." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 These generous people are just a few who made The Times Leader's Book of
Dreams a success this year. From day one to Christmas Eve, donations arrived
by mail and in person or were pledged by telephone. As of Thursday, the Book
of Dreams raised $21,794.01 -- well above the $13,321.21 goal -- to fulfill
this year's every wish. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It just seemed to be a phenomenal giving year," said Mary Jo Finley, an
administrative assistant at The Times Leader, who managed Book of Dreams
donations. "It seemed that people just wanted to give." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the past six years, The Times Leader featured a series of stories about
families, individuals and groups with special needs around the holidays. From
wheelchairs to winter clothes, readers helped fulfill their neighbors' dreams. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Take, for example, the Zielinski family of Dupont. Marcella and Len
Zielinski's 6-month-old son, George, was born with a number of defects,
including heart malformations and sight and hearing impairments. Readers
poured in donations for developmental toys for George and Christmas presents
for his sister Audrey, 4, and brother Danny, 2. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At least two people from the community took on personal crusades for this
family. Like Swoyersville resident, Celia Conner, who with family and
co-workers at Sallie Mae raised $200 for a Toys "R" Us gift certificate for
the Zielinskis. She also persuaded her daughter Raina's nursery school,
Precious Moments in Edwardsville, to hold a food drive for the family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I wanted them (the children) to learn there was more to the holidays than
just what kind of present they're getting," Conner said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And then there's Dave Wehrer. A Larksville police officer and security
officer at the Luzerne County Courthouse. He got his employers and co-workers
to back him in getting four air filters donated to the Zielinskis. Because
George has a reactive airway disease, he needs the filters to control his
disease and make breathing easier. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With his own money, Wehrer also bought a raffle ticket for George. And
guess what? George's ticket was pulled and the Zielinskis won $100. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "God is working in strange ways," Wehrer said. "Now if my name was on the
ticket, I wouldn't have won." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The help the family received from people they never met surprised George's
mother. Marcella said she figured only one person would contribute -- her
father-in-law, who said he would. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's like what you hear about in fairy tales," Marcella said. "Or like Mr.
Scrooge bringing the Christmas turkey." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This giving attitude wasn't present only with the Zielinski family. It
sprang up in connection with all the dreamers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jesse Van Orden, 12, of Wilkes-Barre, saved his allowance each week and had
$25 to give to a worthy cause around the holidays. He decided to help Patrice
Bell, a 4-year-old blind child from Hanover Township with spastic cerebral
palsy, who needed adaptive toys and rehabilitative equipment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Patrice's story caught his eye because he doesn't understand why there are
other children out there who can't afford certain items -- items not a luxury,
but essential and part of life," his father Fred said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Businesses, too, donated and gave back to their communities. Like A &amp; A
Auto Parts and Keystone Automotive Warehouse, which doubled last year's
donation to $5,000. Or Mountaintop's Rademan Advertising &amp; Marketing, which
donated a Thomas Business Register, worth about $200, to the Marian Sutherland
Kirby Library in Fairview Township. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Times Leader also featured dreamers other than families. They included
a Girl Scout troop of disabled girls that needed a new Christmas tree and area
libraries that need supplies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was like Santa Claus calling," said Susan Turrell, librarian of the
Tunkhannock Public Library, about being selected for the Book of Dreams. "To
have someone call and say we have a way to get you money -- that's a real gift
to me." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Still there's more. Like the Wolfe family of Wilkes-Barre, who gave their
daughter's old clothing and toys to Allan Herring, Theresa Simmons and their
baby Patricia. Or Michele Kane's boss at Shearson Lehman, who donated a
$900-plus prone support walker to help Michele's 3-year-old daughter, Katie.
And Urbanski Optometrists in Kingston and the Balester Optical Company of
Wilkes-Barre, which examined and fitted bifocals for Harun Nglolo. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When all the money was counted and gifts bought and delivered, the Book of
Dreams still had more than $12,000 left in its funds. Of that money $5,000
will be set aside for next year; $1,000 will go to the Osterhout Free Library
for adult and juvenile book acquisitions; $300 to the Berwick Public Library;
$2,000 to the Catherine McAuley House in Plymouth; $500 each to the education
nights at Planned Parenthood offices in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton; $1,000 for
the Domestic Violence Center; $1,000 for the McGlynn Learning Center,
Wilkes-Barre; $500 for VISION; and $500 for the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The Book of Dreams is a very personal holiday project because our readers
can see, and almost feel, the individual needs of each dreamer," said Allison
Walzer, vice president and editor of The Times Leader. "The overwhelming
success of this year only encourages us to try to identify even more dreams
for next year. Thank you, and have a wonderful holiday."

Book Of Dreams Has `fairy Tale' Year The Community Pours Out Its Heart And Its Treasure To Help The Campaign Top Its Goal