Signing brings out holiday cheer

With hands in gloves, special education students from Borderwich-Bray Elementary School performed Christmas songs - signing, as for the hearing-impaired, rather than singing - for the Carson Sertoma Club.

"It was very touching, at least to me," said Don Campbell, club spokesman. "It would touch just about anyone's heart."

The musical rendition was part of the club's lunchtime meeting Wednesday, and was followed by a donation of $4,000 to the special education department. A check was presented by club President Stan Draper to Ruth Aberasturi, director of the special education department.

The students performed in front of a black light, which illuminated the gloves as the songs were signed to an accompanying musical number.

This is the 10th year that the Carson Sertoma Club has helped the department with a donation. The $4,000 check is expected to be matched with a $2,000 donation from the national club, which has for the past three years matched the Carson donation with $1 for every $2 raised.

"We give money every year to the Carson School District special education for speech and hearing impaired children," Campbell said.

He said this grant is for items the district cannot afford - such as personal computers and special software.

"We have all kinds of fund-raisers," said Campbell. "Close to 40 percent to 50 percent of what we raise goes to the speech and hearing projects."

Sertoma, which stands for "Service to mankind," has 29 members in the Carson chapter.

He explained that the software is aimed at helping students, either personally or for the entire class. In one instance, a computer helps students to realize how to alter their voice patterns to match the computer.

In 10 years, the club has provided almost $100,000 for the district's program.