The Rotary Club of Kent did our first “toy drive” nearly 10 years ago. I decided to lead this effort after speaking to a volunteer at the Salvation Army and learning more about the incredible need in our county. They told me that despite assigning “angels” to the kids in their program, many children received no level of support during the holidays. In some cases, children were not selected by people when the “angel cards” were sent out, and therefore those children had no way to get gifts under their tree. Some of the ways that they meet these needs, included the “red kettles” (another project that our club is always involved in) and of course, the individual gift drive. This week, David Dix, in light of Bill Childers absence, will address the club and tell them about the need for us to volunteer once again ringing the bell for the red kettles. Sign-up sheets will go around and we also want to remind all Rotarians that the Salvation Army is one of the three organizations our gift drive supports. What this means to our club is this… if you are unable to financially support the gift program this year, we humbly ask you to donate your time by ringing the bell at an area location. If you feel so compelled to, you may volunteer both ways. We understand that the holidays are busy, and that sometimes it’s hard for us to do things just for ourselves. That is why, it is so appreciated by the leadership of our club if people can step up this time of year. Giving of time is often a greater sacrifice during this season. We look forward to hearing more about this campaign at this week's meeting. One last reminder, make sure your RSVPs are in for the Christmas party! We will have a trivia-full night, with lots of prizes and merriment. 

Happy holidays to everyone! I am looking forward to spending more time with you this holiday season.