Mayor's Motorcade
When: 9:30 a.m. Dec. 9
Where: Begins at the Senior Life Center, 434 Prior St.
To donate: Cash donations can be made by Dec. 4; gifts can be dropped off by Dec. 7 at any Gainesville fire station or the Community Service Center. 430 Prior St., Gainesville, 770-503-3330.
Want to make the holidays a little brighter for someone in need?
The Georgia Municipal Association has scheduled its 51st annual Mayors’ Motorcade, a program designed to spread cheer to behavioral health facilities’ patients. Each year, donations are collected and distributed to Gainesville and Hall County residents in the Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital in Rome.
Anyone can join the celebration of the Gainesville motorcade, which will begin at the Senior Life Center at 434 Prior St. at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 9.
The Community Service Center is responsible for local donations, and relies on community action.
“The community involvement is so necessary in order to give everybody a good Christmas,” said Carol LaMonica, senior secretary for the Community Service Center.
Among the gifts most needed by patients are personal care items such as new clothing, games, snacks, stationary and toiletries.
“Anything that you can think of that you would enjoy if you were living in a hospital. Basically, warm, fuzzy feeling things. There are kids, also, so stuffed animals are certainly very acceptable,” LaMonica said.
Gift donations should be new, unused and still in original packaging. If you choose to donate a DVD or video, only PG- or G-rated movies are accepted.
Monetary donations also are greatly appreciated and will go to the AVITA community partners.
“Some residents who require counseling services who are mentally challenged go to the AVITA here in Gainesville if they do not require in-patient residency at the hospital,” LaMonica said.
Any unused gift donations will be used in the future by the hospital for birthdays or welcome baskets for new patients. That keeps the joy of giving going throughout the year.
gift donations can be dropped off before Dec. 7 at one of the four fire stations in Gainesville or the Community Service Center.
Monetary donations can be dropped off or mailed to the Community Service Center at 430 Prior Street S.E., Gainesville, GA 30501, by Dec. 4.
For more information, contact the Community Service Center at 770-503-3330.