Georgetown, Del., Dec. 7, 2015: With one unified voice, Sussex Countians are coming together to help lift up many voices in need this holiday season.
More than 400 carolers gathered in downtown Georgetown for the 32nd annual Caroling on The Circle event Monday night, Dec. 7, singing traditional and Spanish carols to ring in the Christmas season, but more importantly, working in concert to collect more than 20,000 canned goods and non-perishable items for local food banks.
Each year, Caroling on The Circle kicks off the holiday season for Sussex County, while serving as a community food drive to benefit local pantries. Started in 1984 as part of the Delaware First initiative, Caroling on The Circle continues to help those in need three decades later. To date, the community has donated more than 670,000 canned goods through the Caroling on The Circle program during the course of its 32-year history.
“Once again, the Sussex County community has shown an endless outpouring of compassion and goodwill for their neighbors in need,” County Administrator Todd F. Lawson said. “So many of our citizens will enjoy a brighter holiday because of the support from those who helped make this year’s Caroling on The Circle food drive another tremendous success.”
As part of the Caroling event, Sussex County once again called on the public to ‘Pack the POD’ by setting up a 14-foot-by-7-foot PODS storage trailer on The Circle. The unit served as a focal point for Caroling and to heighten awareness about the food drive.
Monday night’s Caroling event, along with collections from Sussex County Council, County employees, numerous schools, groups and businesses leading up to the event, helped this year’s preliminary total reach a little more than 20,000 items. With three weeks still left in the drive, the County hopes to take the final total even higher by the New Year.
The public can continue to drop off canned goods and non-perishable food items between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the County Administrative Offices building on The Circle or the West Complex offices on U.S. 113, both in Georgetown. The Caroling on The Circle food drive will continue until Dec. 31.
Mr. Lawson thanked the public and those in attendance at Monday night’s event, and acknowledged several participating groups. Those included County Council, County employees, All-Span, Inc., Aloft AeroArchitects (formerly PATS Aircraft Systems), A.P. Croll and Son, Inc., Steve Class/Colonial East, the Delaware Manufactured Home Owners Association, First State Manufactured Housing Association, Fuqua, Yori & Willard, Little Einstein Preschool, Sussex County Association of REALTORS®, West Bay Homeowners Association, Georgetown Elementary, Georgetown Middle, H. O. Brittingham Elementary, Long Neck Elementary, Millsboro Middle, and Milton Elementary schools, and Sussex Academy.
Items collected will be donated to approximately 15 area pantries, shelters and church organizations for distribution within Sussex County.
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