TOYBOX URGENTLY IN NEED OF DONATIONS

Gifts and monetary donations to Toybox continue to trickle when actually a downpour of gifts is needed.

More than 600 needy children will go without gifts this Christmas unless well-meaning people get their donations in by the beginning of next week. Volunteers would like to have all donations by Monday because they need time to sort through the applications and match gifts with requests.

Thursday's delivery date is only five days away, and volunteers are still unable to say they will have enough gifts to meet the needs of all the children who applied.

"We need people to come in with their donations now," said Kim McDowell, Southeast Missourian organizer for the event. "We hate to say we won't have enough for every child, but donations are coming in very slowly this year."

Toybox, in its 22nd year, is co-sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian. The program works to provide Christmas presents to over 1,200 children each year.

All donations will be used to buy gifts for children through the age of 12 who otherwise might not receive Christmas gifts. Donations are down this yea, while applications are the same or higher than previous years.

New, unwrapped toys and gifts may be delivered to the Southeast Missourian office or area drop-off points at West Park Mall, Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Boatmen's Bank, Gulliver's Travel Agency, Mercantile Bank, Union Planters Bank, AAA Travel Agency, The First National Bank, Commerce Bank and Sanders True Value Hardware.

Gifts will be delivered by a team of Jaycee Santas on Thursday.

Cash contributions may be mailed to Toybox Trust, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0004.