Friday, November 09, 2007
The City of Statesboro will be doing its part to make the holiday season special for residents of the state’s mental health and retardation hospitals.
For 49 years, cities across Georgia have brought the joy of the holiday season to patients at Georgia’s seven regional mental health and retardation hospitals through the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade.
The program, begun by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) in cooperation with Governor Ernest Vandiver, relies on citizen participation in each city to donate gifts for the patients, many of who would not receive gifts or be recognized without the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade. According to hospital staff, many of the patients at these hospitals have lived there most of their lives and have little, if any, support or contact with friends and family.
Donated items from the City of Statesboro will be delivered to Georgia Regional Mental Hospital on December 12, 2007. Civic organizations, businesses, churches, schools, scout troops and individual citizens are encouraged to help with the collection of gifts and monetary donations for the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade.
Our city has started its gift collection campaign and we are asking for your help. The hospital clients are part of our community, drawn from a region, and we would like to encourage all of you to remember them this holiday season. Decorated gift collection bins are located throughout the city and county including: City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, Park Avenue Bank (Main St. & Mall), Sea Island Bank (Main St.), Farmers & Merchants Bank (Main St.), BB&T Bank (Main St., Mall, and College Plaza), First United Methodist Church, and many local schools.
New and unwrapped gift donations for the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade include: Board games, cards, books, art supplies, journals, stationary, snacks, watches, wallets, movies (G or PG only), cosmetics, bath products, toothbrushes, hats, slippers, shoes, socks, underwear, bathrobes, pajamas, t-shirts, and pants.
On Friday, November 16, 2007 we will be at Wal-Mart from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. receiving donations. We will also collect donations on Thursday, December 6th, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Downtown Statesboro Holiday Celebration. Gift collection will end on December 8th.
Many of our local restaurants have placed collection jars by their Cash Registers. Please remember to donate at these local establishments: Beaver House, Blimpie Subs, Boyd’s BBQ, China Super Buffet, El Sombrero (Fair Road), Larry’s Subs (Mall), McAlister’s, Moe’s, Nikko, Ocean Galley, Pizza Inn, Papa’s Pizza, Heavenly Ham, Holiday Pizza, RJ’s, Shoney’s, Sonny’s, Vandy’s, Shane’s Rib Shack, and Snooky’s.
If your school, church, business or civic group would like to participate in an outstanding holiday community project, please contact The City of Statesboro’s Public Information Officer Maggie Fitzgerald at (912) 764-5468 for further information on how you can get involved. Gift donation lists are available on our website at
www.statesboroga.net (click on Bids, Auctions, and Public Notices).
Let’s not forget those less fortunate during the holiday season.