As many of you already know, the Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund is going full bore.

The fund, which raises money each year to support the local Toys-for-Tots campaign, raises tens of thousand of dollars each year.

This year’s goal is $45,000.

As of Sunday, when we last published the donation list, we had nearly 10 percent of that.

With Christmas just a few short weeks away, we hope that amount will grow significantly, and quickly, in the coming days.

To that end, I throw out this challenge to all of our readers.

If, on Wednesday, December 27, we are able to publish that the goal has been reached, I will go to my favorite barber at Mr. D’s Barber Shop, and have him give me a Marine Corps recruit haircut.

I chose this particular day to give our business office time to calculate and produce those numbers.

All we have to have is one penny above the goal and the deal is sealed.

So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get that checkbook out, or dig deep into your pockets and get us that money.

You may drop if off at out office, 130 S. Saratoga St., or mail it to the Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund, P.O. 1220, Suffolk, Va. 23434.

While I don’t want to think of myself running around in the cold weather without any hair — it’s been 36 years since I last had a haircut of this nature as part of basic training — I will do my part if you will do yours.

Good eats

This past Saturday I went to the Magnolia Ruritan Club on Nansemond Parkway to take a picture for the newspaper.

The club members were cooking Boston butts to raise money for their many community projects.

They had six or seven of those giant cookers going all at once, with each one holding around 10 or 12 slabs of meat — from what I could see through all the smoke.

I shot several pictures and was preparing to leave when I ran into Harrell Jory, one of the Ruritans.

We chatted for a few minutes, and I told him if they had any extras to call me later that day and I would buy one.

I have never had one of these butts, cooked to perfection over a bed of charcoal, but they sure did smell good.

Jory checked and found not only did they have a few leftovers, but they were also ready for purchase.

I wrote them a check and took mine, along with a pint of barbecue sauce, home.

We have been eating off that thing since Saturday, and it gets better every time.

If you have never had one of these, I highly recommend it.

Watch our calendar for the next time Magnolia, or any other group offers these for sale.

It’s well worth the $20 when one considers:

n The original cost of the meat

n You don’t have to cook it or clean up afterwards

n Depending on the size of your family, you can eat off of it for several days.

n And all proceeds from the sales go back to the local community

It’s a win-win for everybody.

Grant is the managing editor of the News-Herald. Contact him at doug.grant@suffolknewsherald.com, or call 934-9603.