Several Masons and Shriners from the area joined forces recently to help a little girl who lives in Jesup.
During the Jesup Christmas Parade, Long County Mason and Shriner Walt Pelton sported a dog costume and passed out candy. As Pelton marched in the procession, he said, Emma Goober, 2, held out her hands for a treat.  Pelton said he hugged Emma and the child smiled at him.
After meeting her, Pelton learned Emma has optic diaphysis, which affects a child’s ability to send messages from the brain to the body and makes it hard to accomplish simple tasks such as feeding oneself. 
Pelton, who is a member of the Altamaha Masonic Lodge 227 and the Long County Altamaha Shriners Club, said he wanted to do something special for Emma and her family for Christmas.  He teamed up with Scott Rosenberg and other members of the Jesup Shriners Club and together they bought a feeding chair for Emma and a few other presents. 
Pelton said the chair will help Emma and her parents, Kelly and Dustin Goober, and improve the child’s quality of life.
The group met up with Santa Claus last week and took Emma’s gifts to her.
“After meeting Emma, she was such a special girl, I just wanted to do something, so we all got together and bought the chair to make things a little easier on her and her family,” Pelton said.