The City of Thomson will be doing its part to make the holiday season special for residents of the state's mental health and retardation hospitals.
For 47 years, cities across Georgia have brought the joy of the holiday season to patients at Georgia's eight regional mental health and retardation hospitals.
The program, begun by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) in cooperation with Gov. Ernest Vandiver, relies on citizen participation in each city to donate gifts for the patients, many of who would not receive gifts or be recognized without the Mayors' Christmas Motorcade. According to hospital staff, many of the patients at these hospitals have lived there most of their lives and have little, if any, support or contact with friends and family.
Donated items from the City of Thomson will be delivered to the East Central Regional Hospital in Augusta on Dec. 7. Civic organizations, businesses, churches, schools, scout troops and individual citizens are encouraged to help with the collection of gifts for the Mayors' Christmas Motorcade. For more information on how groups can participate, please call Chief Rick Sewell at 595-6133.
Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and technical consulting services to its 497 member cities.
Listed below are items most needed by patients this Christmas. Please send new and unwrapped gifts. Donations of wrapping paper, ribbons and bows are also needed. Cash donations are welcome. Checks should be made out to Mayor's Christmas Motorcade.
Miscellaneous gifts: board games, cards, t-shirts, baseball caps, watches, walkman radios, top 40 tapes/CD, wallets, stationary, pens/pencils, tote bags, cookies/snacks, movies (PG or G only), hair accessories
Personal care items: toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs/brushes, cosmetics, shaving lotion, deodorant, after shave, cosmetic cases, shampoo/conditioner, body lotion
New clothing: (extra large through 4XXXX-Women) (Small-Men) - pajamas/nightgowns/bathrobes, socks, underwear, bedroom shoes, tennis shoes, hats, sweat shirts/pants
