On Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010, the Columbiana Merchants and Professional Association has created a very unique and fun shopping day for the children of Columbiana.

The Columbiana Children’s Shopping Day begins at 9 a.m. at the Shelby County Arts Council building on Mildred Street. Children will come with their parents to sign up at the SCAC.

Laurie Edwards of M&F Bank will register each child and get contact numbers where their parents can be reached in case of an emergency. Each child is put with a “big brother or big sister,” an older student from Shelby County High School. These student volunteers will be each child’s chaperone and guide for the day.

The SCAC will provide a craft for each child to make, a hand-made treasure keepsake of the day.

The next stop will be at Dr. Stancil Handley’s office, where Santa Claus will arrive at 10 a.m. Santa will listen to each child’s wishes for Christmas and hear whether they have been naughty or nice.

After the visit with Santa, the children will stroll down Main Street and visit the merchants who will have tables of items, specially priced for a little ones limited budget. Up and down Main Street, each child will have the opportunity to shop at Columbiana’s unique boutiques for their parents, siblings and friends at prices they can afford.

After shopping on Main, the children and their SCHS companions will end up at the Le Petite Shoppes on Mildred, where refreshments and another craft will be provided by Georgiann Farrington, manager of Le Petite, and Sharon Ogle of Regions Bank, who is president of the merchants association.

Cookies, drinks and a last craft treasure to make will be at this final stop before returning to the SCAC, where parents will pick up their children at 2 p.m.

What a wonderful opportunity — a day for children to shop for their parents on their own in a safe and fun environment. Just one more way that Columbiana is a family friendly town, and a wonderful place to live.

For those last-minute shoppers who hate crowds and love a bargain, shop Columbiana the following weekend, Dec. 17-18, 2010, for the merchants’ “Naughty and Nice Day.” Specials and sales will be at all the stores in town. Skip the traffic, avoid the crowds and help our merchants and town by shopping Columbiana this year!

Phoebe Donald Robinson can be reached by e-mail at phoeberobinson@bellsouth.net.