Dear Editor:

In the state of Georgia there are several thousand citizens living in Georgia’s seven regional mental health and retardation hospitals. Many of these patients have lived in these hospitals most of their lives and have little, if any, contact with or support from friends or family.

Forty-nine years ago, in 1958, the Georgia Municipal Association and then Gov. Ernest Vandiver created the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade to help these hospital patients celebrate Christmas by providing each with a present. The staff at the regional hospitals tell us that without the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade, many patients would go without any type of gift or recognition during the holidays.

Our city has started its gift collection campaign and we are asking for your help. The hospital clients are part of our community, drawn from a region, and we would like to encourage all of you to remember them this holiday season.

The Rincon City Hall is a drop off location for any donations that anyone would like to make from the items on the list for the patients of the Georgia Regional Hospital. The City of Rincon will be delivering all donations to Georgia Regional Hospital at 10 a.m. on Dec. 12.

If your school, church, business or civic group would like to participate in an outstanding holiday community project, please contact Wanda Hendrix at the City of Rincon at 826-5745 for further information on how you can get involved.
Listed below are some of the items that Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah has on the patient gift list:
Board games, cards, T-shirts, baseball caps, watches, walkmans, tapes, CDs, wallets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs/brushes, cosmetics, shaving lotion, deodorant, after shave, shampoo/conditioner, body lotion, stationary, pens, pencils, tote bags, cookies/snacks, movies (PG or G only), hair accessories, socks, bedroom shoes, hats, sweatshirts or sweatpants.

Let’s not forget those less fortunate during the holiday season.

City of Rincon
Ken Lee, Mayor