2026 Outstanding Project of the Year Winner Brought Holiday Cheer to Families

WoodmenLife is more than a life insurance company. We are committed to supporting our members and the communities where they live. To do that, we depend on the hard work of our chapters across the country.

Recognizing one stand-out effort, WoodmenLife is proud to give this year’s Outstanding Project of the Year Award to Chapter 2002 in Covington, GA. The chapter created joy with a free holiday event — complete with snacks, crafts, and Santa Claus — for families in need.

A Huge Success

Patsy Cook, secretary of Chapter 2002, spearheaded the project. She wanted to host the event for children with special needs, children in the foster care system, and low-income families.

The event was held on Dec. 5, 2025, at Legion Field in Covington, which the Newton County Recreation Department provided for free. Inside the decorated facility, families could enjoy snacks, get their faces painted, build crafts, get their photos taken with Santa Claus, and even meet the Grinch.

Cook said more than 300 people attended the inaugural holiday event, which was a surprise to the chapter members who volunteered.

“We had no idea how big this was going to be,” she said. “It was such a huge success. We were all so emotional. It really was amazing to see the kids’ faces, and we had quite a few parents say how amazing it was. Plus, they enjoyed that it was free.”

Read More: Georgia Chapter Brings Holiday Cheer to Families in Need

Helping the Community

Lisa Lawson, WoodmenLife’s Community Outreach Advisor for the Georgia North Region, said she was “blown away” when she heard Chapter 2002 won the Outstanding Project of the Year Award.

“There are so many wonderful projects that are done every year, so to have that one win in your region — words are hard to come up with,” she said. “Knowing all the great work Chapter 2002 does, and then to put this project together and win nationally — it says a lot about the chapter and the kind of work they do.”

One of WoodmenLife’s key pillars is community, which Cook said was the main goal of the holiday event.

“That is one reason why I do so much for this chapter — the money we have in our chapter system belongs in the community,” she said. “This truly is my passion: Everybody deserves to have joy, everybody deserves to see Santa.”

Written by: Cheyenne Alexis, Communications Strategist

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