Georgetown, Del., Dec. 7, 2009: The economy may be down, but spirits were certainly up for this year’s Caroling on The Circle in Georgetown.
More than 500 carolers sang in the holiday season during the 26 annual Caroling event Monday night, singing Spanish and traditional Christmas carols and helping to collect approximately 23,000 canned goods and other non-perishable food items for the area’s needy. th
The event each year kicks off the holiday season for Sussex County, while serving as a community food drive. Started in 1984 as part of the Delaware First initiative, Caroling on The Circle continues to cheer hearts and help those in need more than two decades later. To date, the community has donated more than 500,000 canned goods through the Caroling on The Circle program.
Monday night’s Caroling event, along with collections from Sussex County Council, County employees, numerous schools, groups and businesses, helped push this year’s preliminary total to 23,012, just under the 26,000 items collected in 2008, but a respectable tally nonetheless.
“We understand how tough a year this has been for so many people, including many here in Sussex County,” County Administrator David B. Baker said. “But even when times are tough, Sussex Countians find a way to pull deep down and come through for their neighbors. We’re thankful for each canned good and every ounce of support from our residents, our schools, and our business community.”
Mr. Baker said because the community need this year is as great as it has ever been in Caroling’s 26-year history, the County will extend the effort to collect canned goods and other non-perishable food items for local pantries. Throughout the rest of the month, the public can continue to drop off food items between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the County Administrative Offices building on The Circle, the West Complex offices on U.S. 113, and at the Sussex County Airport terminal, all in Georgetown.
Mr. Baker thanked the public and those in attendance at Monday night’s event, and acknowledged several participating groups. Those included County Council, County employees, Steve Class/Colonial East-Sussex West, the Delaware Manufactured Home Owners Association, First State Manufactured Housing Association, Fuqua & Yori, Harley Davidson of Seaford, PATS Aircraft, the Punkin’ Chunkin’ Association, Sussex County Association of REALTORS®, Beacon Middle, Benjamin Banneker Elementary, Georgetown Elementary, Georgetown Middle, H.O. Brittingham Elementary, Howard T. Ennis, Milton Elementary, North Georgetown Elementary, Selbyville Middle and Sussex Central Middle schools, and the Southern Delaware School of the Arts.
Items collected will be donated to approximately one dozen area pantries, shelters and church organizations for distribution within Sussex County.
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