Thanks to you: Empty Stocking Fund helps Santa fill his sleigh

The total figures are still being compiled, but the 2017 Empty Stocking Fund put on by the Goldsboro News-Argus with support from you, the community, was by all accounts a rousing success.

More than 450 Wayne County students walked away with toys, clothes, books and goodie bags Saturday morning, thanks to your kind donations and volunteerism.

In no small part are we indebted also to several local businesses, to include Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Belk, J.C. Penney, Ollies, Books-a-Million and its valued customers and the Food Lion located on East Ash Street, with a special thanks there to Mr. Hubert.

Thanks to A Drummer's World, Studio 33 and the Dillard Middle School chorus, as well as Eric Dawson, for your performances.

The News-Argus' Crystal Bizzell also delighted the audience with her own beautiful renditions of a few holiday standards.

Also appreciated are Goldsboro High School for hosting the event,  and all of Wayne County Public Schools' valued teachers for contributing the names of the families selected to participate each year.

Sharing in the thanks are the Goldsboro Police Department and its Explorers program, the Goldsboro Fire Department Explorers, the Spring Creek chapter of the Future Farmers of America and the Eastern Wayne High School Honors Society for spending the morning with us and helping spread a little holiday cheer to Wayne county families who need it most.

Each year, for 105 consecutive years, this community rallies to answer the call to provide Christmas presents to children who might otherwise have none. This is done through financial contributions, the donations of toys, clothes, books and, perhaps most importantly, time.

It is the time spent working to bring this event together each year and the time spent on the day of the event speaking with and assisting the families the empty Stocking Fund serves that make the program successful.

So, without all of these agencies, the good people who gave of themselves to support the program and you, our valued subscribers and readers, none of this would be possible. We thank you, we thank our hard-working staff, and we thank the families who benefited from this year's program for being patient, pleasant and appreciative of the Empty Stocking Fund.

Wayne County, you are awesome.

Published in Editorials on December 9, 2017 9:44 PM