A group of children will be a little warmer this winter thanks to the Southgate Rotary Club.

Along with the community, the club collected hats and mittens to be distributed to The Guidance Center’s Head Start students.

“The children ages 3 to 5 need our assistance this winter in keeping warm and healthy,” Rotary member Frances Waszkiewicz said.

The club held its annual holiday luncheon Dec. 2 at the Holiday Inn-Southgate to present the donated hats and mittens to Guidance Center representatives.

Taylor and Allen Park Rotary Club members joined them for the festivities. Also present were Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa, schools Supt. Nancy Nagle and other city officials.

The Southgate Anderson High School choir entertained the group with holiday songs to get everyone in the spirit.

Angela Pilarski, director of Head Start at the Guidance Center, accepted the donations.

“She was very moved and grateful for the generosity of the community and thanked everyone on behalf of their 1,600 families,” Waszkiewicz said.

A 50/50 raffle was held to benefit the Southgate Goodfellows.

Many businesses took part in the donation drive by placing drop-off boxes at their locations, including Southgate City Hall; the Downriver Family YMCA; The Guidance Center; Holiday Inn-Southgate; Traffic Jam Boutique; ReMax Realty; Bumgardner-Michniak-Parmenter & Associates; the Dental Office of Charles Zammit; Old Country Buffet; Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Allen Park Dental Care, Comcast’s Taylor and Garden City offices and Women Making Connections also collected items throughout the month.

The Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Patient Accounting Department donated money to purchase items and the Fifth Third Bank branch in Riverview also contributed items to the drive.