My Christmas wish is that I can find the words to adequately convey to you how "Christmas is for Kids" affected not only those children who were chosen to go shopping, but their parents and the volunteers who helped pull it all off.

Several months ago when gas prices were more than $4 per gallon, I was thinking how that would affect donations to "Christmas is for Kids."

Then the bottom fell out of the economy and I just knew charitable giving would suffer.

I also knew the requests for assistance would probably be at an alltime high.

I was right about that, but boy was I wrong about the giving part.

As of Tuesday at noon, this year's donations to "Christmas is for Kids" totaled an incredible $20,790!

Considering the most ever given in any one year was about $14,000, I am amazed at that amount. The generosity of the businesses and residents of Cherokee County is truly astounding.

This past Saturday, 180 or so children and their parents were treated to shopping sprees at Wal-Mart in which each child was allowed to spend up to $100 on toys and clothes. I didn't sleep much Friday night because I was worried about the logistics of having such a large crowd.

My fears were unfounded as there were plenty of volunteers on hand to help with the check-ins, the shopping, and the check-outs.

As they have for the past several years, members of the Sub Deb (high school age service and social club) help the children with their shopping, making sure they don't go over — or under — their $100 limit.

How many teenagers do you know who will get up EARLY (they were at Wal-Mart by 7 a.m.) on a Saturday morning to volunteer to help those in need?

Employees of the Department of Social Services, Mental Health, Disabilities and Special Needs, and Program for Parents of Preschoolers not only provide names of children who need assistance, but they show up bright and early on the appointed shopping day and are invaluable in ensuring that all goes smoothly. We truly could not do it without them.

Oh yeah, they don't get paid to be there.

The employees of Wal-Mart who assist us do get paid, but not enough for the pandemonium they have to put up with. Vanessa, Angela and Debra are not only patient with our shoppers, but cheerful and smiling throughout the morning. Over the years, some of them have asked to be scheduled to work on "Christmas is for Kids" Saturday.

I'm sure anyone who has ever helped at one of our shopping Saturdays would tell you it is a special, uplifting experience.

After all of the families get checked in and start shopping, I wander through the aisles talking to them and taking pictures.

I get hugs and 'thank-yous' galore. These children are some of the sweetest, most polite you could find anywhere. Smiles from ear to ear on most, but as you might expect others are quite bashful. But even those shy ones will talk excitedly about the toys in their shopping carts if you hang around long enough.

The parents and grandparents don't have to say a thing. Their eyes speak volumes of their gratitude. But they do all seem to find me and express their appreciation.

Since Saturday, we have received more donations and helped more children, bringing the total to 207. I hope this column will help all of you who gave to "Christmas is for Kids" or contributed to some other family or organization during this Christmas season to understand just how grateful the recipients of your generosity are.

I also want to tell you all just how grateful I am for having the opportunity to be the recipient of all those hugs and 'thank-yous.'

"You just don't know what this means," one tearyeyed mother said as she hugged me. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me," I told her. "It's all those people who contributed who should be thanked."

"Will you thank them for me?" she asked.

I promised her I would, so on her behalf and the 207 children and their families YOU helped, thank you and Merry Christmas!

(See Page 16 in today's paper for a complete list of donors and pictures from Saturday's "Christmas is for Kids.")

Cody Sossamon (cody@gaffneyledger.com) is publisher of The Gaffney Ledger.