Project Santa

On Christmas Eve, Project Santa delivered new boxed toys to 556 children, covering 209 families in eastern Rowan and Davidson counties. In eastern Rowan County, Project Santa visited 46 families and 128 children during Christmas.

Project Santa begins in mid-October with visits to each family to determine their need for toys, food and clothing. The project took names as late as Christmas Eve if the need existed.

Gifts this year included 7-inch tablets, telescopes, makeup kits, bath and body accessories, games, radio-controlled cars, helicopters and trucks, CD players, MP3 and MP4 players, boxes, educational toys along with book bags, school supplies, science toys, footballs, bicycles, Legos, watches, Barbie dolls and many other toys.

Project Santa also distributed a total of 310 Bibles to adults and children.

Project Santa used St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church facilities, as it has for the past 15 years.

Cloninger Ford Toyota has donated the use of three large vans to Project Santa for seven years, making it easier to bring joy and smiles to less fortunate children on Christmas Eve.

All the families Project Santa serves have the opportunity to visit the Clothing Closet at the Project Santa building in Denton. The clothing closet was open Dec. 14, 15 and 22, fitting children and adults with more than 174 coats and at least 4,400 other articles of clothing both donated and purchased.

VF Jeanswear of Greensboro donated jeans for the 12th consecutive year.

Food boxes were picked up or delivered to 173 families or individuals on Project Santa’s list this year. Approximately 14 Food Lion store managers from the Lexington, Winston-Salem and Thomasville stores helped, along with other volunteers from Disable American Veterans Lexington and Denton, to assemble 190 food boxes in an hour.

For the 12th year, the payroll/retail business services at Ahold/Food Lion donated new toys for Project Santa to deliver and made a monetary donation, as well. Post Brands of Asheboro donated two pallets of cereal for the food boxes.

Project Santa is a member of the Rowan County Christmas Bureau administered through United Way. The project works closely with the Salvation Army and other members of the bureau to compare lists to make sure all those in need receive the assistance they need. Project Santa works with Toys for Tots of Rowan County, as well.

Project Santa organizers would like to thank all the churches, businesses, civic organizations, foundations and individuals that made Project Santa 2018 a success for the 61st year.

Christmas is a time of giving, and Project Santa’s goal is to help the children who are not able to help themselves. This is the reason Project Santa has existed for 61 years.