This article by Horace Crowe appeared in the Marietta Daily Journal on Friday, December 27, 1957.
Horace Orr Post 29, the American Legion, took on a new role during the holidays - that of playing Santa Claus to some 30 needy families.
Post Commander Fred Thompson said the plan started when two or three friends called the Legion Home on Gresham Avenue and asked if the Legion could make some arrangements to take care of three families who were going to miss Christmas this year.
List Grew
The three calls grew into a dozen, and as of Christmas Eve, when the packages were finally delivered, it took members of the charity committee a week to raise ample supplies for 30 families.
Thompson said that business houses, and one manufacturer contributed a majority of the clothing, while members of the Post and the Auxiliary made up a majority of the rest.
"All the toys were not new," Thompson said. "Most of these were used, but were still in good shape. One Post member donated a bicycle, several dolls and doll furniture, while the Lockheed Recreation Club donated stockings filled with candy and some toys."
Thompson and his committee spent three days in preparing the baskets and gathering the supplies that went into them. A chicken, butter, groceries of all kinds, as well as nuts, candies, clothing for the kiddies, made up the gailey decorated boxes.
Toy To Child
Every family "adopted" by the Horace Orr Post had a number of children, and each received a gift, or several gifts. One toy to the child, a jacket, underwear, jeans, and pedal pushers were included in the clothing gifts.
For the small children, there were rubber toys, snow suits and underwear.
Serving on the Christmas Committee with Thompson was his adjutant, Bob Blackwood, and Mrs. Blackwood; Mr. and Mrs. Rogers Wheeler, Mrs. Grover Fennell and several members of the Post who helped to deliver the boxes late Tuesday afternoon.
