Toybox teams fill hundreds of Christmas stockings around Cape Girardeau

She was scared at first, but 2-year-old Kennedy Brookins-Rose greeted Santa Claus on Monday with a small grin, excited about her Christmas gift -- her first baby doll. Kennedy's mother, Larisa, took a bag of additional gifts and whispered "thank you" to Santa as he moved on to his next stop of the night.

Kennedy didn't let the jolly volunteer leave her home on East Rodney Drive, though, without a quick high-five.

That volunteer, Jaycee member Craig Sander, and his helpers moved on to Ranchito Drive where Clarice Shannon and his three little ones, D'Angelo, 9, Timmy, 10, and Queenaiyah Dickinson, 9, were peeking from their bunkbeds, noses to their frosty window, waiting for Santa to knock at their door.

As D'Angelo reached in their bag, though, their father insisted all the gifts go under the tree and remain unopened until Christmas.

Sander, with 25 other delivery teams, most of them also Jaycee members, dropped off toys to children at more than 400 homes in Cape Girardeau. The families had applied for assistance through the Southeast Missourian Toybox program.

The Jaycees and the Toybox program took applications through most of November, while various area businesses collected unwrapped children's toys and monetary donations until Monday, when organizers packed 26 vans at a warehouse on Rust Avenue for the delivery teams.

Leftover unwrapped gifts at the warehouse were going to be delivered to hospitals and the Safe House for Women before Christmas, according to Tracy Haggerty, Toybox organizer. Others will be kept to give to needy families in 2011.

On average, each team visited 14 homes in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Jaycee Santa Craig Sander delights Saibian, Kayden and Kaleb Alford during a Toybox delivery Monday, Dec. 20, 2010 in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

Jaycee president Robbie Guard said that until last week, when donations started to pick up, he and other members were worried they weren't going to meet their delivery goals and collect enough toys.

"Even in tough economic times, people come through for us," said Guard, a six-year member of the Jaycees. "It's a great charity, and we're very, very thankful for the community and that we're able to do this."

Nekosha Alexander, mother to two boys, Charles, 8, Javon, 3, and a daughter, Jasmine, who'll turn 2 on Dec. 31, was just as thankful when Santa brought Matchbox cars, a football and a doll to her home on David Street. The other gifts, she said, would have to wait to be opened until Christmas Day.

Alexander said she applied to receive help through the program because she was laid off earlier this year from her job at National Asset Recovery Services Inc. She said she's struggling to cover necessary items, like electric, water and garbage bills.

"When I lost my job, it was even harder than I thought; $177 a week with unemployment just doesn't cut it," Alexander said.

Alexander was thrilled to see her youngest children so happy. It was their first time meeting Santa, she said.

"I'm trying to give them something I didn't have when I was younger," Alexander said. "The small things always have a big impact on the children."

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent Address:

Santa checks his list of houses to deliver to in this December 2009 file photo as part of the Toybox program sponsored by the Jaycees and Southeast Missourian. (Laura Simon)

Rust Avenue, Cape Girardeau, MO