TOYBOX BRIGHTENS JAYCEES SANTA'S HOLIDAYS

Everyone has cherished Christmas memories of family and friends and finding just the right gifts under the tree.

For the last nine years, Kevin Lasher has made wonderful Christmas memories as a Jaycees Santa, delivering toys and gifts to children all over Cape Girardeau during the annual Toy Box toy drive.

Some local families face a bleak holiday because their budgets won't provide the extra dollars needed to buy Christmas presents.

Donors can brighten the holidays for those families by providing new toys and donations for Toy Box.

Donations and applications are being accepted for the 1995 Toy Box drive, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian.

An estimated 1,000 to 1,200 children ages 12 and under will have a brighter Christmas because of community donations to the toy drive.

Dolls, game, bicycles, skates, toy cars and trucks, sports equipment, radios, and videogame cartridges are all welcome presents for children who might otherwise find no gifts to unwrap Christmas morning.

"After nine years, the one incident I really remember was one little boy who was handicapped and he was not able to speak," Lasher said.

"When I brought the toys in, you could tell he recognized who was there, and his eyes said everything," he said. "He did not have to speak. You could see it in his face. Every year there's more things along those lines that happen."

Lasher said he enjoys the opportunity to help others.

"There's really no better community service project than Toy Box," he said. "It's a great way to get out and practice responsibility to the community and help people who are having hard times."

Lasher and the dozens of other Santas and elves are looking forward to "T-Day."

Donated toys and gifts will be distributed to children at their homes between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Dec. 21.

Parents may fill out applications for their children to receive toys at the Salvation Army, 701 Good Hope in Cape Girardeau.

Children ages 12 and under who live in the city of Cape Girardeau are eligible.

Applications are due Dec. 8 and must include children's Social Security numbers. Parents are urged to come in early to make sure their applications can be processed in time for the distribution. No late applications will be accepted.

New, unwrapped toys may be dropped off at Boatmen's Bank, Capital Bank, Coldwell Banker, Gulliver's Travels, Commerce Bank, Mercantile Bank, First National Bank, Chuck E. Cheese's, West Park Mall or the Southeast Missourian.

Donations may be sent to Toy Box Trust, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0004.