Published: December 04, 2008 08:39 pm      

Little Jimmie donations slow with more than $22,000 to go

BLUEFIELD — Contributions to the Community Christmas tree lagged Thursday, with less than $1,000 in donations received.

With a pledge to provide toys and goodies to hundreds of needy children across the area, the campaign has set a $25,000 goal to ensure a Merry Christmas for the youngsters who might otherwise go without during the holiday.

As of Thursday, $2,708 had been contributed to the Community Christmas Tree campaign, leaving the fund $22,292 short of this year’s goal.

The Community Christmas Tree is sponsored by the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Each child signed up for the program — also known as the Little Jimmie campaign — will receive a gift bag filled with toys, fruit, candy or cookies, a book, a pair of gloves and a toboggan at a Christmas party on Dec. 23, from noon to 2 p.m., at the Bluefield City Auditorium.

Sign-ups for the program will be held Friday, Dec. 5 from 3 to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Bluefield City Auditorium.

To sign up a child for the Community Christmas Tree, parents need to bring either the child’s Social Security card, birth certificate or a WIC card to the sign-up event. Any form of information is acceptable, as long as it contains the child’s Social Security Number, event organizers said.

Thursday, the Community Christmas Tree fund received $690 in contributions.

Those who would like to contribute to the Community Christmas Tree program can mail donations to: Bluefield Daily Telegraph, c/o Community Christmas Tree, P.O. Box 1599, Bluefield, W.Va., 24701; or drop them off at the Daily Telegraph office on Bluefield Avenue. Checks should be made payable to the Community Christmas Tree Fund.



Thursday’s contributions

Ronald & Peggy Flanigan .........................................$50.00

In memory of my mother, Emily Spangler, by Ellen Spangler Johnson ..........................100.00

Herschel Honaker..........200.00

In memory of Harold Robinette .........................................100.00

In memory of Greg Shrewsberry.......................25.00

Lawrence & Virginia Baisden ...........................................50.00

In memory of Bobby, Jackson & Mason Pendry, by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Martin.....................25.00

Dennis Moye...................15.00

Vearl & Betty Clayton ...........................................25.00

In memory Jim Shott Jr., Douglas Sutherland Shott & Frank W. Thompson, by James “Smokey” & Diane Shott .........................................100.00

Today’s total............$ 690.00

Previous total........$ 2,018.00

Total to date...........$ 2,708.00