By Staff
PLAYING SANTA n WOKK Radio Station Breakfast Bunch co-hosts, Scotty Ray and Debbie Alexander, played Santa with $13,000 donated within a five-day period to help buy Christmas for Salvation Army Angels. Photo by Carl Crocker/The Meridian Star.
By Sharon White/The Meridian Star
Dec. 24, 2000
Although the Breakfast Bunch at WOKK is always laughing and joking around, recent events left Scotty Ray and his co-host Debbie Alexander looking at the serious side of life.
Last week the local radio station crew learned that gifts for only about 40 of the 900 Salvation Army's Christmas Angel Tree Campaign children had been purchased.
Then they told everyone else.
Ray said more than $13,000 was raised during the five days WOKK and its sister radio station, Z102, spent promoting the adoption of the community's underprivileged children.
He said givers came from everywhere and in every size.
Although the lives of those families assisted this year by the Salvation Army's program may not end up like a fairy tale, Ray said he believes the children who were adopted will certainly have a better Christmas because of the public's concern.
Capt. Joseph Mur, commanding officer of the local Salvation Army, agrees.
In years past, he said only about 70 percent of Angel Tree children were adopted out. The rest were purchased some Christmas toys with money from the Salvation Army's kettle campaign.
Sharon White is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at swhite@themeridianstar.com.