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I have vivid memories of Christmas mornings from my youth. As a child, it was hard to top the feeling of excitement that came with jumping out of bed to see what Santa left under the tree.

We would spend the months leading up to Christmas making a wish list of toys we wanted most from the Sears Catalog, television commercials and things we’d seen in the aisles of Toys R Us, the top retailer at the time.

Sometimes Santa would come through with the toy straight from the top of my wish list. Sometimes he wouldn’t. But he always delivered.

It’s heartbreaking to realize not all children are fortunate enough to have that experience. But it’s heartwarming to know there are programs like Toys for Tots to make sure they do.

Our local drive, in cooperation with the Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children, has for years helped deliver toys and hope to less-fortunate local children.

But they need your help.

This year, more than 600 local kids (infants to age 12) have been registered for the campaign.

“This year’s massive registration represents a 20% increase compared to last year and is a reflection of how deeply inflation has impacted our Beaufort County community,” said Toys for Tots co-chair Henry Capogna. “We have a genuine concern we may not have enough toys to accommodate demand.”

Only two weeks remain before toys must be picked up. The Dec. 1 deadline keeps the program on schedule for distribution day at St. Peter’s Church on Dec. 11.

To participate, simply donate new, unwrapped toys (birth through age 12) at one of the listed drop-off locations.

Let’s make sure our drive doesn’t come up short.

Ashley Vansant is publisher of the Washington Daily News. He can be reached at publisher@thewashingtondailynews.com.

Toys for Tots information flyer