Holiday purists this time of year love to expound on how Black Friday is the ultimate distortion of the true meaning of Christmas.

But the East Cocalico Lions Club has devised a "double-reverse exploitation" strategy that twists Black Friday commercialism back into line with the true meaning of the season.

For 17 years the Lions Club has taken advantage of busy Black Friday traffic to benefit charities they support, Dennis Ensinger, East Cocalico Lions Club chairman, said.

He said members set up a "toll road" and collect donations from drivers at Church Street and Reamstown Road.

The intersection is a key thoroughfare for cars heading to Wal-Mart or the Green Dragon flea market, which draw thousands of people from outside the area each Friday.

"We're not sure who came up with the idea, but the busy Black Friday traffic set up the perfect time to raise funds for four very good causes," Ensinger said.

The Lions last year raised $3,000 for four charities, including Hospice of Lancaster County, Ephrata Area Social Services, Reamstown Park and Sight First Two, a national Lions Club program aimed at preventing blindness.

About 20 Lions Club members manned the four corners of the intersection on four shifts from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members Stan Uibel, Donald Lewis, Leroy Witmer and Bruce Carpenter took donations in the afternoon shift.

"People are pretty generous this time of year," Uibel said.

Ensinger estimated that up to 5,000 cars come through the intersection while the Lions Club collects money.

Wachovia Bank at 1 N. Reamstown Road provided an office where club members tallied their donations. The office also served as a refuge for the men to warm up from the late-November chill.

"Today isn't so bad," Lewis said. "In past years we've been out here in the cold, wind and rain where my bucket has been filled with money and water."

Inside the bank the men joked, drank coffee and ate pastries while counting the money.

The donations appear to be higher in the afternoon, according to club member Jack Dewald.

Dewald said many people donate twice, once on the way to shop and again on their way back.

"Well, you know they got change after shopping," Dewald said.

The Lions Club typically kicks in a few hundred dollars on top of the money collected to ensure the four charities get equal donations.

Though Black Friday is a good fundraiser, the club also makes out well in the warmer months collecting funds through its golf outing and a food stand at the Ephrata Fair.

Dewald said the vast majority of Black Friday drivers are happy, but he admitted that some drivers can be "Grinches."

"Those people maybe didn't get a kiss before they left home this morning," he joked.

Earlier Friday at the Ephrata Wal-Mart, Traci Cole of Ephrata believed she arrived early when she pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot at 4:15 a.m.

She was there to purchase a few items, but specifically an RCA video mp3 player for $49.

"There were already lines," Cole said. "The sales didn't start until 5, but people told me they got there at midnight."

Things didn't get better for Cole once she made her way inside the store. She said she missed out on almost everything she wanted.

"It was crazy," she said. "The Wii Fit was at the checkout in the optical center, the 32-inch LCD TVs were at the checkout in layaway and the GPS unit was being sold in the hunting department."

Also, the children's bicycles were being sold in the grocery department.

"It seemed like everything you were looking for was in the opposite of where it should be," Cole said.

Things weren't much better outside the stores in the early morning on Black Friday, as local roads were packed with customers looking to track down savings. Route 30 resembled a parking lot as customers descended on the midnight sales at the outlets.

For a time, eastbound traffic leading to the outlet centers was backed up on Route 30 past the Old Philadelphia Pike (Route 340) exit.

Midnight openings have become the norm. They were held for the third consecutive year at Rockvale and Tanger outlet malls. Stores at Park City Center and elsewhere got an early start Friday as well.

"We had a very, very crazy night here," said Tanger's Chuck Simmons, shortly after dawn. "Traffic was through the roof. I don't have any firm figures, but I'd say traffic was probably greater than last year.

"We've got retailers with nice, long lines," reported Rachel Gallagher, general manager of Park City Center. Stores there opened as early as 4 a.m.; parking lots were nearly filled by 6:30 a.m.

"Our traffic was busier than last year," observed Rockvale general partner David Ober. "We'll see if they spent as much. Because the discounts were better, the overall sales might be the same."

Ober saw signs in the first hours of Black Friday shopping that consumers were focused on finding the best deals.

"Our retailers who promoted the deepest discounts did the best. Our retailers who didn't do anything special were left behind. We had some big winners, and we had some losers," he said.

E-mail: pburns@lnpnews.com