With donations down, Toybox accepting items until delivery day

Santa Claus will make an early stop at the homes of more than 400 families Dec. 20, delivering donated toys collected by the Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian Toybox Program.

Program organizers worked with the Salvation Army nearly all of November to collect applications of families seeking financial help for the holidays. Collecting about 410 applications, Toybox organizer Tracy Haggerty said she expects Santa to distribute toys to about 1,150 children next week.

"We usually try to give each child one thing on their list," Haggerty said.

Although receiving just more than 400 applications is comparable to what the program did last year, the number of donations, in the form of money or an unwrapped new toy, has decreased. Haggerty said the program will still do what it can to get gifts to all the families that applied. Donations will be accepted until the day the Christmas gifts are distributed.

"I don't know if people are like me and Christmas has snuck up on them, but donations are significantly down," Haggerty said. "Every family has had to make changes accordingly and this program is no exception to that."

Although donations have decreased, two of the program's annual fundraisers -- Cape Girardeau BBQ Fest and the Jaycee Golf Tournament -- helped boost its toy shopping budget.

"Even though it has been slow, it still amazes me how many kids this program is able to help," Haggerty said. "This community, year after year, comes through for the program."

Monetary donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703 or brought to the Southeast Missourian, 301 Broadway.

See a list of all the toy drop-off locations at www.capejaycees.org.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

701 Good Hope St., Cape Girardeau MO

301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau MO