If you have children, even if they’re grown now, imagine what it would have been like when they were young if they woke up on Christmas morning, after several months of getting excited and hearing their friends talk about what Santa would bring them, and found no gifts under the tree.

That is a potential reality facing many families in Suffolk every year. Times are hard for everyone, but many have it worse than others. Some folks have no trouble buying Christmas gifts while covering all of the necessary expenses, but others are barely swinging it and still others wouldn’t be able to make it at all without help.

That’s where you come in. The Cheer Fund is an easy way to make sure your hard-earned money goes directly, 100 percent to putting toys — and a little Christmas cheer — in the hands of children right here in Suffolk.

No donation is too big or too small. We’ve had folks give $5, and we have a small number of donations from organizations and foundations in the $2,000 to $4,000 range. It all adds up, we hope, to more than $40,000 each year, which is our goal. A donation of any amount helps us get there, so we hope you’ll give generously from your heart.

To donate to the Cheer Fund, send a check to P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 or bring it to the newspaper’s office, 130 S. Saratoga St., from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

We will list your donation in the newspaper, but it can be marked “anonymous” if you like. Donations may be made in honor of or in memory of someone. If you bring the check to our office, we’ll even take your picture as you hand it to one of our staff.

For more information on the Cheer Fund, call 934-9609.