Once again this year, the Suffolk News-Herald is collecting donations for the Cheer Fund, and the drive is already off to a good start. But, as always, we are relying on the generous support of the people of Suffolk to make the fundraiser a success.

Cheer Fund is the Suffolk News-Herald’s annual charitable drive in support of Suffolk’s Toys for Tots program. It has been held longer than anyone can quite remember, having been started, it is believed, sometime during the Great Depression. Initially, the Cheer Fund raised money to provide money for clothing and food for needy residents of the city.

Through the years, the fundraiser’s mission changed to providing money to purchase toys for children who might otherwise find nothing under the tree on Christmas morning. It has been an important part of the city’s charitable efforts. Last year’s drive, for example, raised more than $34,000 that put toys under the tree for 4,655 local children.

It would be hard to find a charity with a better record of giving. With the exception of an annual State Corporation Commission fee of about $50, every penny raised through the Cheer Fund goes toward funding Toys for Tots. This year, the goal is $40,000, reflecting the fact that the Salvation Army, which organizes the toy giveaway each year, expects requests for toy donations to outpace previous years.

Donations to the Cheer Fund are printed in the Suffolk News-Herald and can be made in honor of or in memory of a loved one or friend. The donor can be listed anonymously if he chooses. The donor can also have his photograph taken giving the check to be published in the newspaper.

Donations for the Cheer Fund are accepted year-round. To give, write a check payable to the Cheer Fund and mail it to P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439, or stop by our office at 130 S. Saratoga St. Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.