The city of Springfield will be doing its part to make the holiday season special for residents of Georgia’s hospitals serving persons with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs.

 

Donated items from the City of Springfield will be delivered to the Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah on Dec. 8. Civic organizations, businesses, churches, schools, scout troops and individual citizens are encouraged to help with the collection of gifts for the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade. For more information on how groups can participate, call Linda Rineair at 754-6666.

 

The city of Rincon also is taking part in the Mayors’ Motorcade and will accept donations at the city hall lobby. City hall is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. There also will be a visit from Santa Claus on Dec. 4 and 11 at Rincon City Hall from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

 

For 52 years, cities across Georgia have brought the joy of the holiday season to patients at Georgia’s seven regional behavioral health hospitals through the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade.

 

The program, begun by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) in cooperation with Gov. Ernest Vandiver, relies on citizen participation in each city to donate gifts for the patients, many of who would not receive gifts or be recognized without the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade. According to hospital staff, many of the patients at these hospitals have lived there most of their lives and have little, if any, support or contact with friends or family.

 

Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and technical consulting services to its 512 member cities.