TOYBOX GIFTS RECEIVED IN NICK OF TIME

They've made their lists and checked them twice, but not to find out who is naughty or nice. Instead, volunteers from the Cape Girardeau Jaycees are making sure that every needy child has a gift for Christmas.

Without donations of toys and games, many area children wouldn't have any gifts this Christmas. Toybox, which offers gifts to needy families for the holiday, is a joint program of the Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian.

More than 425 applications were received this year. As of Friday night, Jaycees Toybox coordinator Mike Seabaugh said enough toys had come in to fill those orders. But any extra toys would still be appreciated.

Jaycee Santas will deliver the toys Tuesday evening.

Volunteers who sorted toys and filled requests tried to give every child at least one of the gifts they had asked for on the application. But there are some who didn't ask for anything specific, Seabaugh said.

"It's harder because you don't know if they've got any sort of interest" or favorite doll or game, he said.

Board games, books, puzzles, dolls, blocks and makeup kits for 10- to 12-year-old girls are popular requests. Walkmans and radios for older children would also be appreciated.

Among those bringing in toys Friday were 13-year-old Jessica, 10-year-old Joey and 8-year-old Jacob Sides, who in past years have been the recipients of Toybox generosity. The family is better off financially this year, and is preparing to open the Sides Warehouse Outlet and Auction Co. in Cape Girardeau next month. So they brought a bicycle, a friction car, a radio-controlled car, a skating bear and a WWF action hero to the Southeast Missourian so other children wouldn't go without.

The children's mother, Rosie, said giving gifts to Toybox was their idea. "They feel sorry for little kids," Rosie said. "They know how they felt when they didn't get anything for Christmas."

New, unwrapped toys can be delivered to the Southeast Missourian offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, AAA Travel Agency, First National Bank, Mercantile Bank, Bank of America, Sander's True Value, Bank of Missouri, Southwestern Bell Wireless, Union Planters Bank, the ShopKo Court at West Park Mall, Alliance Bank, Commerce Bank, Toys R Us and Capaha Bank.

Cash contributions may be mailed to Toybox Trust, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0004.