Helping Santa donations slim so far

By Staff
Nathan Strickland
Donations for the “Helping Santa” program are down this year compared to 2008 numbers.
Drop boxes have been set up at 18 local businesses since Nov. 11 and the response, officials said, has been very minimal. Russellville Fire Captain Randy Seal said he thought it would have already taken off by now.
The list of families is starting to grow in number. Officials have estimated around 65 families with an average of three children per family have already signed up for gifts.
Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree are the top two businesses that have contributed the most to the cause. There have also been a few monetary donations collected.
On Thursday, Dec. 17, the Russellville Fire Department plans on bringing Santa to town to try and boost donations. Children will have a chance to meet with Santa from 4 - 7 p.m. and share their wishes for Christmas. Seal hopes this will help with donations.
All monetary donations must be made through the Firefighter Association. The deadline for donations is set for Dec. 18. If there are any questions about how to contribute please contact the Russellville Fire Department at 256-324-0456.