Phil Luciano: On Labor Day, we start thinking about Christmas and Jimmy Binkley’s parties for seniors

Journal Star (Peoria, IL)

Sept. 02--Smiling, I sometimes wonder what Jimmy Binkley would say about the explosion of his Christmas parties for seniors.

Well, actually, I know the first thing he'd say.

"Heh, heh, heh," he'd growl, just like always. "This is for my babies. I love my babies!"

But these days, there are a lot more Binkley babies -- of all sorts of ages and yuletide events. More than three years after his death, the ripple effect continues to flow from Peoria's preeminent pianist/philanthropist. Thanks to increasing reader generosity, it feels as if Jimmy is putting his arms around more people than ever.

And the work starts now. Christmas might seem a long way off, but preparations are gearing up already.

The Binkley Christmas Machine didn't always start cranking so early in the year. We first got together in November 2001. His annual party, then eight years old, was starting to expand. He needed help to give as many presents as possible to folks who otherwise might not get any Christmas presents.

"They don't have nothing," he said back then. "They don't have nobody."

And that's not the only reason he made for an extra-special Santa Claus.

"Some of 'em, I go into their rooms, and they have tubes in 'em," he said back in 2001. "I say, 'Look what I have for ya.' And they can't open the gift themselves. So I help them.

"They're all special to me."

So, thanks to readers, the party grew -- from 200 to 250 to 300 guests over time.

"The main thing is, make the people happy," he said with a grin before the 2010 yuletide gathering. "Make 'em happy."

During the get-togethers, he didn't speak much. He loved to sing, and he loved to talk one-on-one. But he wasn't as comfortable speaking into a microphone. At that 2010 party, he offered just one quick message: "I want everyone to know: Thank you so much. And I love you."

Meanwhile, as time pushed on, there were two noticeable developments:

--Readers kept giving more and more gifts. That was a good problem to have -- beyond the party, Jimmy would deliver presents to nursing homes throughout December, sometimes into the New Year.

--Jimmy worried about the day he could no longer spearhead the party. He'd ask me, almost with a plea, "Who's gonna take care of my babies?"

In 2015, we learned the answer: You.

Early that year, Jimmy died at age 91. But a group of longtime helpers banded together to keep the Christmas party alive.

But there's not just a Christmas party these days. The number of guests and events keep growing.

This is what reader donations did last year, an all-time record:

--Gifts, stuffed animals and lunch for 200 guests, thanks especially to host American Legion Post 979 in Bartonville, Peoria Elks Lodge 20, multiple entertainers and emcee Daryl Klusendorf.

--Gifts and stuffed animals for three off-site parties with more than 200 guests: Rosewood Care Center in East Peoria (featuring Higher Ground, a guitar ensemble from First Baptist Church of Peoria), Snyder Village in Metamora (featuring singers from Corn Stock Theatre) and Fondulac Rehabilitation and Health Care in East Peoria (featuring singers from Bradley University).

--More than 100 stuffed animals for an in-house party at Liberty Village in Peoria.

--Gifts and stuffed animals for 20 moms and 20 children at the shelter at the South Side Mission.

--Gifts for 60 men at the Peoria Rescue Mission.

--Gifts and stuffed animals for 60 women and children at the emergency shelter at Dream Center Peoria.

--Stuffed animals for 200 adults and children visiting the Dream Center's Hope Store.

--Stuffed animals for about 200 kids at the Carver Center.

--Gifts for six families, including 29 children, who fell through the cracks of social-service agencies.

--Stuffed animals for hundreds of hospitalized children.

So, how do we do all that? This is what we're looking for:

Gifts: These should be useful but inexpensive items such as socks, footies, shaving cream, cologne, soap, warm-up suits, lotion, puzzles, crossword books -- the types of things seniors can use and enjoy. No need to wrap them! In fact, it's easier to assemble unwrapped gifts.

Gift bags: Please don't wrap gifts. Bags work a lot better. Helpers can divvy up items into equal giveaways. We need smallish bags, about 8 inches tall and wide, which usually run three for a dollar at discount stores.

Stuffed animals: This is a Jimmy tradition, as his "babies" love stuffed animals. These need not be huge, just the size of an average teddy bear or smaller, even Beanie Babies. They can be gently used, but only if they don't have smoke or other odors. If they smell like mold or cigarettes -- and we get a lot of those, which end up in the trash -- please do not drop them off. Also, please don't wrap the stuffed animals.

Donations can be dropped off weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at West Peoria City Hall, 2506 W. Rohmann Ave., West Peoria.

(Also, please don't send checks. We don't ask for money anyway, but checks are especially troublesome because the Binkley group isn't a recognized charity, so we can't cash any checks. Sorry.)

All right, helpers. There's a lot of work ahead.

What might Jimmy say about all that? Here's one quote that comes to mind, as he planned a mass singalong as grand marshal of the 2014 Santa Claus Parade: "Tell all the people! We gotta do this right!"

Yes, we do, Jimmy. And I know he'd want to add the following, which he said here after the first reader-assisted party, in 2001:

"I just want to thank my little elves."

PHIL LUCIANO is a Journal Star columnist. He can be reached at [email protected], facebook.com/philluciano and (309) 686-3155. Follow him on Twitter.com/LucianoPhil.

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