TOYBOX EMPTY AS FEW DAYS REMAIN

If donations of toys and clothes don't pick up soon, hundreds of the area's needy children will have no visit from Santa Claus this year, organizers of the Toybox drive said.

"I'm worried," said Pat Anderson, co-chairman of Toybox. "What if Santa doesn't come for these children?"

Donations are down, Anderson said, so much so that only one-third of the nearly 1,000 children on this year's Toybox list will receive a Christmas gift.

The drive depends on donations from members of the community and businesses when collecting gifts to distribute to needy children. Especially needed are gifts for kids under 3.

"People tend to procrastinate," said Kevin Lasher, Toybox co-chairman. "But what people don't realize is that if they don't get the donations here quickly, we'll have trouble sorting and distributing them."

Gifts will be delivered directly to the children at their homes by a team of Jaycee Santas on Dec. 19.

Checks are also accepted, Lasher said. Volunteers buy toys and clothes with the money, and there are no administrative costs, he said.

"If people don't want to shop, we'll do it for them," Anderson said.

After filing less than half of the more than 350 applications Toybox received this year, Anderson said, the toys and money ran out.

"Many of these kids will go without a Christmas gift if Toybox doesn't provide one," she said. "I don't want to see that happen, but right now, we don't have anything left to give."

Many of the children's wishes are small, she said, often only a single toy or article of clothing.

Toybox is sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian newspaper, to help make Christmas wishes come true for children who live in poverty.

Toybox serves needy children in Cape Girardeau County up to age 12.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys are requested. Also needed are donations of new coats, mittens, hats and warm clothes.

Gifts may be dropped off at the Southeast Missourian, 301 Broadway, West Park Mall, Capital Bank, AmeriFirst Bank, Farm and Home Savings, Gulliver's Travel Agency and Perry Travel Center.

Cash gifts may be sent to Toybox, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.

Donations should be received by Monday.

For more information call Kim McDowell at 335-6611.