Dec 20, 2023 4 min read

Total: $8,788.12

Goal: $18,000

With only five days until Christmas, the Give-A-Christmas campaign to support local units of The Salvation Army continues to march toward its goal.

“This campaign is so important,” said Sparkle, the campaign’s mascot. “The money that is raised goes back into the community to help units across Fayette County continue to provide many different services to those who need them.”

Local units are in Connellsville, Masontown and Uniontown.

In Uniontown, the funds raised will go toward running the location’s five-day-a-week soup kitchen, the Love in a Backpack program that provides 226 area students in the Laurel Highlands School District with food for every weekend during the school year, and increasing the capacity to provide hygiene and baby products to those who need them.

The Herald-Standard has proudly held the Give-A-Christmas fundraiser on behalf of The Salvation Army for 38 years, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.

“I know we can meet our goal again this year and you can still help,” said Sparkle. “You can mail a donation to the newspaper office or drop one off there until the end of this week.”

The total amount raised through the campaign will be printed in the Christmas Eve edition of the Herald-Standard.

Information on how to donate appears below the list of the campaign’s most recent donors:

Martha Kempic of Uniontown

Grace Chapel Presbyterian Church of Smithfield

John and Sharon Ugolini Peccon of Star Junction, in memory of all deceased family members

John Helisek of Hiller, in memory of wife Geraldine, who passed away on Sept. 19

Lucy David of Uniontown, in memory of the Van Sickle and David families

Jane and David Ruse of Chalk Hill

Clarence and Geraldine Bricker of Fairchance, in loving memory of children Anna Marie Bricker Hickle and Steve Andrew Bricker

Fred and Bobra Michotte of Uniontown, in honor of great nephew Petty Officer First Class Damon Tolbert, a U.S. Navy serviceman stationed in Virginia Beach, Va. The Michottes thanked all military personnel

Jeffrey Strauch, Dr. Margaret Swinker, and Kenta and Tayler Strauch of Uniontown, in memory of Mabel Kikta, Frank Strauch and Dr. and Mrs. Robert Swinker

Dave and Cherie Pursglove of Hiller, in honor of awesome grandchildren Landon and Harper Crable and Connor and Addison Fisher, all of Waynesboro. Merry Christmas!

Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, Merry Christmas and God bless

Arnold and Norma Husk of Uniontown, Merry Christmas

Cheryl Arshen of Uniontown, in memory of husband Bill Arshen and all family members who have passed on

AMVETS Post 103 Ladies Auxiliary of Hopwood, thanking The Salvation Army for its services to the community, and in memory and honor of all military members who have served our country

Coddington family of Uniontown, in memory of Florence Otto

VanSwearingen Family, in memory of loved ones

John and Annette Mamula of Hopwood, in memory of John Fagler

Diane Poole of Uniontown, in memory of loved ones

Bernard and Eileen Quarrick of Uniontown

Daniel and Mary Jane Glitz of Uniontown, in memory of the Santer and Glitz families

Sherry Bryner of Lemont Furnace, in memory of husband Glenn Bryner and in honor of grandchildren Benjamin and Cheyenne Jordan

Eleanor Honsaker of Masontown, in memory of husband Ronnie and parents Charles and Annabelle Livingood and Glenn and Edith Honsaker

Fayette Could Welfare Department retirees, in honor and memory of all Fayette County Welfare Department retirees

Gwendolyn Ridgley and the Rev. Louis Ridgely Jr. of Uniontown, in memory of Dr. Evelyn Hovanec, Elias Gabriel, Loretta L. Sutton, Frank J. Bobeck Jr., William “Bill” Garry and John E. Cupper

Callahan and Callahan LLC of Point Marion

Contributions for the Sparkle campaign can be mailed to Give-A-Christmas, c/o Herald-Standard, 8 E. Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401. Checks should be made out to Give-A-Christmas. Additionally, donations may be dropped off at the newspaper office through this Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.