Letters to the Editor

Clydesdale Christmas:
Dear Editor;

This is an open letter to all Marshall County residents:

Over the past 12 years the Clydesdale Christmas Store has grown from two people trying to help one or two needy families with Christmas for their children to over 30 people working year round working to provide Christmas for an average of 800 children a year.

This is a labor of love and is something we do because we want to not because we have to. As many of you know, there is no government funding or sponsorship. This is done with all private and corporate donations.

On September 1, 2005, the Board of Directors of the Clydesdale Christmas Store met in emergency session and voted to amend our charter for this year only.

Due to the catastrophic damage on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the influx of needy people to our area who have nothing, we have voted to suspend the Christmas Store toy give-away.

Instead, all of our resources as well as our monies will be used to aid storm victims on the Mississippi Coast as well as those who have been forced to flee to the Marshall County area.

We will continue to hold our annual fundraising events, golf tournament, auctions, etc., with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the victims of Katrina.

We are asking all our sponsors, as well as anyone who might have been the beneficiary of the Clydesdale Christmas Store in the past, to join us in this effort to help our neighbors from the Gulf Coast.

We ask all the families who would have been recipients this Christmas to understand and work with us to help those less fortunate who have lost everything.

Anyone needing information on how to help or where to send donations may contact The Clydesdale Christmas Store, 843 Peyton Road, Holly Springs, MS 38635.

Barring any other unforeseen disasters, the Christmas Store will continue our tradition of helping the children next year.

Nina Hogan
for the Board of Directors
Clydesdale Christmas Store
Ronnie and Brenda Luther, Founders

Sincere thanks extended:
Dear Editor,

The families of Alice and Oscar Gonzales, Marlene and Richard Gonzales, Alisha and Chris, Shannon and Mike would like to thank the people of Holly Springs and all those who have opened their homes and their hearts and donated food and other items to them in their time of great need.

We would like to say that we appreciate all that has been done, as we left with what we had on and at this time do not know when it will be safe or if we will be able to return to our homes. The people here have been so kind and generous. We just wanted to say thank you.

At this time we are staying with family here. Everyone has been so kind; we are just overjoyed at the many who have come to our aid.

We are thankful God has taken care of us through such a caring group of people. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you and say God bless you all.

The Gonzales family
Lake Estates, Potts Camp

(Oscar and Alice Gonzales are here with her sister Annie Spears and Travis. They arrived Sunday night late, escaping the storm and flood that has New Orleans, Chalmette and surrounding areas underwater.

At this point it is bad, but with prayers and the love and kindness of others, they are being taken care of and offering prayers for the ones who were lost. It’s times like these that people pull together. It will take much to restore our neighbors. Jesus said “love your neighbor” and people have surely shown love for our neighbors. We praise God for people who care.

And we would like to say a belated happy birthday to Deanna, Luke and Oscar Gonzales and B.J. Sanders. -- Annie Spears.)

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