Local organization ensuring that no child is left behind this Christmas

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG / WECP) – Christmas trees come in all shapes and sizes, but these trees are a little more special. Each is filled with the names of children in need of Christmas presents.

“There are a lot of kids who don’t get Christmas,” Glenda Richardson Carr, CEO of the Children Left Behind Christmas Program. “Their parents can’t afford it, so they just jump. It’s always exciting for me to know that the kids will have their bikes, skateboards, or barbie dolls.

The program has been granting wishes for three years now and has given gifts to hundreds of children.

“We started with 46, then last year we had 264, and this year we have over 700 tags,” Carr said. “We are really delighted that the community has embarked on this project. “

There are 14 locations displaying a tree.

Employees of the State Attorney’s Office and Bay County Emergency Services sponsored a total of 80 children.

“Bay County is so much into this program and is helping the program,” Carr said. “They not only receive gifts, but also clothes and shoes. It’s very exciting for me that the county is participating so strongly this year.

Organizers said there were only a hundred labels left. They asked the community to have the gifts unwrapped by December 8th. They will then distribute the gifts at a Christmas party with Santa Claus and his elves.

“The elves will take the presents in Santa’s bags into the parents’ cars,” Carr said.

If you sponsored a child with a gift, the organizers said you can drop off the gift where you got the tag or at the Bundle of Hope in downtown Panama City.

This program hopes to provide a joyful Christmas for every child in Bay County for years to come.

Here is a list of all tree locations:

Lighthouse church

Rx Express Pharmacy

Outback Steak House

Solar dermatology

Steak n ‘Shake

State Prosecutor’s Office

Small mustard seed

Oriental Ocean Market

Grand Marlin Restaurant

J Michael’s Restaurant

Hairology

Mr. Surf and Coffee Shop

Victoria last bite

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