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Although Christmas has passed and the new year is upon us, the Suffolk Cheer Fund is still actively seeking donations for Christmas 2024. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we published stories from people like Lyida Duke, who shared how her parents instilled the value of giving to her and her brothers at a young age. That giving spirit eventually extended to the Cheer Fund and now her children are now contributing donations in her name. Along with our regular contributors, like Billy Chorey, we saw some new faces extend a helping hand. We even welcomed a television celebrity into the Cheer Fund club. To all of you, we extend our deepest gratitude for your support of the children of Suffolk, who are in the most need during the holiday.

Shopping is an important part of any observance of Christmas, but for some people in Suffolk, it is especially painful. With 60% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck.

When such situations affect Suffolk families with children, the Cheer Fund is there to help. More than 90 years ago, the Suffolk News-Herald’s Cheer Fund was established to help raise money for toys for underprivileged children throughout the city. For many years, a local advisory board and a few other volunteers have worked together to make sure toys were distributed to those who needed them.

Any adult who has ever seen the look of happiness in the eye of a child who has received just the right unexpected gift under the Christmas tree can readily understand the reason that the Cheer Fund exists. But there’s a difference between understanding and supporting.

With a goal of $50,000, the fund is approximately $4,000 shy of that goal. While the holidays have passed, you can still donate to aid in the fund’s efforts in the coming Christmas’.

Anyone interested in donating to the Cheer Fund can do so by bringing a check to the Suffolk News-Herald office at 157 N. Main St. or sending your check to;

Suffolk Cheer Fund

c/o Margie Wiley

P.O. Box 1411

Suffolk, VA 23439

You may also stop by Ferguson Rawls & Raines, 332 W. Constance Road, Suffolk, VA 23434. Please call 757-539-2400 before bringing your check, or on the Cheer Fund’s website, www.suffolkcheerfund.org. With permission, a photo can be taken as you are presenting your donation.