BUSINESSES SHARE THEIR GENEROSITY WITH OTHERS

The holiday season has a way of making us all open up our eyes and our pocketbooks. The abundance of Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to make the needs of the less fortunate all the more pressing.

But it's not just individuals who delight in becoming Santa Claus. Area businesses give back to the community in a big way during the holiday season. In fact, companies pour thousands upon thousands of dollars into our community year round. Most of these businessmen don't give simply for corporate public relations. They kindle this community spirit as a way to be good stewards of the city and its people.

Businesses use a variety of means to generate this benevolence, including gifts of clothing, toys, food and cash.

We know first-hand the importance of business charity. These companies are enthusiastic supporters of the annual Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly programs. For example, Wal-Mart presented a check for $2,245 to Toybox this week. It represented a percentage of sales generated on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Throughout the chain, Wal-Mart raised more than $2.66 million for charity that day.

Other examples include:

* KZIM and K103 teamed up with Schnucks to collect more than 800 coats for a drive that benefited the Salvation Army last week.

* Weber TV is sponsoring a gift tree for Cottonwood Residential Treatment Center residents.

* K-Mart brought in underprivileged children selected by local civic organizations for a Christmas shopping spree.

* The Fantasticks will donate $1,000 to the favorite charity of the winner of the Celebrity Table Setting contest.

* Many companies spon~sored food drives for FISH, the Women's Safehouse, Gibson Center and other deserving groups. JCPenney will sponsor a drive today and Thursday; TCI is spearheading a similar effort through the Salvation Army.

* Sears "phone home" promotion will benefit Special Olympics and the Children's Action Network.

Without the generosity of area business, it would be impossible for the Salvation Army, Area Wide United Way, Southeast Missouri State University Foundation, and many other agencies to meet their annual goals.

It's impossible to mention every good deed of business this holiday season. The list like Santa's goes on and on. It's clear that businesses are filled with the Christmas spirit and are sharing their good fortune with those who really need it.