The Suffolk News-Herald’s &uot;Cheer Fund&uot; and the &uot;Toys for Tots&uot; campaigns received a big boost with donations from several businesses including Ciba Specialty Chemicals and its on-site contractors, Amark and Allfirst. Between the employees and the company’s matching gift, donors at the Ciba site presented a $1,000 cash gift and 53 new bicycles and helmets for Suffolk’s underprivileged children.

Frank Rawls, president of Cheer Fund accepted the check on behalf of the fund.

The Ciba drive for funds and toys began last year when two employees in the &uot;Works II Building&uot; at Ciba, located on Wilroy Road, learned of the need in the community.

Joe Jernigan and Michael Felts started contacting their colleagues at Ciba to enlist their support for the children.

&uot;It works out good when we get everybody on site involved for the kids so they can have a good Christmas,&uot; said Jernigan. &uot;I have two children and we want all children to have a wonderful Christmas. Everybody on site here was excited about doing it and it’s the second year we’ve had great success with it. Our shift was fortunate enough to help Santa get nine bicycles this year.&uot;

Craig Romanelli, site manager for Ciba, said the company also contributed a portion of the funds for the Cheer Fund.

John Girard, maintenance planner for the plant, said an employee issued a challenge and between on-site engineering and maintenance personnel and on-site contractors Allfirst and Amark they collected $1,000 for the bicycles.

Quinton Goodwin, contract coordinator for Ciba, said the contractors played a big part in the success of the fund drive at the plant.

&uot;It’s all about giving and we feel very fortunate in having jobs of our own in which we can provide for our children,&uot; said Goodwin. &uot;Christmas is about giving and this is something that we felt we could do to help others in the community.&uot;

Frank Rawls, a local attorney who serves as president of the Cheer Fund, said that without donations like this from Ciba, many children would be left out at Christmas.

&uot;The Cheer Fund is responsible for raising the money to buy the toys, but without the gift of they toys, like the bicycles Ciba is giving, we wouldn’t have enough toys for Santa to give to the children,&uot; he said. &uot;This is a double blessing and we are grateful. We would like to see every business and industry in Suffolk get involved in this effort.&uot;

Ed Mitchell, superintendent of Amark Industrial, said he and fellow employees are all local people and they help with the fund drive each year.

William Ashley, coordinator of the Cheer Fund campaign, said the Toys for Tots have already been purchased and now the Cheer Fund must pay for the items that will be given to more than 1,600 less than fortunate children this year.

&uot;We have plenty of toys because so many people have given toys this year,&uot; said Ashley. &uot;We are still in need of funds, however, and gifts like the one from Ciba are greatly appreciated. We so appreciate the community coming together each year in support of the Toys for Tots/Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund….&uot;

Ashley added that the toys, all $37,000 worth, have been delivered to the distribution center, a facility supplied by local realtor Billy Chorey of Chorey & Associates.

Members of the Portsmouth-Chesapeake-Suffolk Association of Financial Insurance Advisors including Jim Chewlew, Robert Mitchell, Jackie Taylor and Ashley, were on hand to unload the four truckloads of toys. The association has worked for years with the campaign.

John Ward, chairman of the Industry segment of Toys for Tots, picked up the 48 new bicycles from Ciba, and he is instrumental in the success of the toy program each year.

Ward donates his time and trucks to pick up the toys from industries across the city.

Speaking of trucks, Ashley also offered praise for the City of Suffolk’s Department of Parks and Recreation for the manner in which they’ve donated time and trucks to help transport toys.

&uot;By far, this is the best year that we’ve ever had for Cheer Fund and Toys For Tots,&uot; said Ashley. &uot;It seems like so many people want to help this year and we are truly grateful to everyone.&uot;

Some of those industries include QVC, Lipton Tea, Golden State Foods, Obici Hospital, Glover Truck Lines, and Ciba.

The fund is almost halfway toward its goal of $37,500.

Just make your contribution out to the Suffolk Cheer Fund or bring it to the office at 130 S. Saratoga St. from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., or you may mail it to the same address. Please make sure that you send a note as to how you want your donation published in the paper.

Balance Brought Forward: $6,363.41

Donations on Thursday, Dec. 12

Blair Bros. Inc: $1,100

Birdsong Peanuts: $1,000

In memory of my husband, King S. Bishop and mother, Mrs. Lula J. Daniel by Mrs. M.P. Bishop: $10

In honor of Rob’s life: $100

Sunrise Circle Cypress Chapel Christian Church: $50

In memory of Chris Walker from Grandma: $15

In memory of Christopher Walker from George & Anne Grissom: $20

Suffolk Moose Lodge No. 1141 Inc.: $225

Cub Scout Pack 50-Boy Scouts of America: $72

Suffolk Chapter 1315 Women of the Moose: $60

From The Bridge Club in memory of Ardar Pond: $90

From Amanda & Miranda Parker in memory of Christopher Walker: $25

In loving memory of Miss Hattie Jones from Hu, Billy, and Shea: $100

King’s Fork Ruritan Club: $100

Ciba Specialty Chemicals: $1,000

2030 Military Retiree Club: $50

Suffolk Chapter of Las Amigas, Inc.: $100

Nansemond County Farm Bureau Inc.: $100

John Yeates Middle School: $1,302.25

Barton Ford, Lincoln-Mercury Inc.: $300

Total for Thursday, Dec. 12: $5,819.25

Total to date: $12,182.66