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For many, it seems like this year went by so quickly, and that might mean it doesn’t seem like the Christmas season to you.

Indeed, Christmas snuck up on a lot of people this year. Perhaps you didn’t have the time to take care of everything on your list. If donating to the Cheer Fund was one of the things that got put off, don’t worry — you can donate to the Cheer Fund all year long, and there’s still some time to have your donation count toward this year’s goal.

The Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund was started by the newspaper during the Great Depression to provide clothes and food for needy families. It eventually began providing toys for children and teamed up with Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army.

This year, there was a goal of $40,000. With this week’s deposit, the details of which you can see on the front page, and the checks that have come in since that deposit was made, we are less than $2,000 from the goal. Your post-Christmas contribution will be right on time for helping us get over the finish line.

These days, this program of the newspaper is its own nonprofit, with an independent board, and each year collects roughly $40,000 from individuals, groups and foundations in the community. Because the Suffolk News-Herald, other local businesses and its volunteer board members take care of all needed work and the minimal expenses, every bit of donated money actually goes directly to the purchase of toys. Every year, about 2,000 children in our community receive multiple toys through the Cheer Fund.

Donations can be made in honor or in memory of anyone you like, and that notation will be listed in the newspaper along with your gift. You can also give anonymously if you like.

To donate to the Cheer Fund, send a check to P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 or bring it to the newspaper office, 157 N. Main St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

If you bring the check to our office, we’ll even take your picture as you hand it to one of our staff.