SALEMBURG — With Christmas around the corner, the Lakewood County Club is working to put smiles on children’s faces during the holiday season.

Through the annual Holiday Hope program, the club is currently gifts and is hosting a celebration soon. It’s scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Lakewood Country Club’s 19th Hole Hole Facility, 555 Country Club Road, Salemburg. Holiday Hope encourages community members to attend with a an unwrapped gift, but if they’re unable to make it, they may drop off a present prior to the event. All proceeds will benefit the Sampson County Department of Social Services (DSS).

Curt Pritchard, golf pro for Lakewood, is expecting more gifts this season.

“The support already out of the gate has been very strong,” Pritchard said.

During the event, Pritchard said attendees will enjoy light finger foods, Christmas music and fellowship with others.

“It gives people a chance to see what everybody has done collectively,” he said about the drive that helps hundreds of children though DSS. “The big thing here is that one hundred percent of the toys that are donated stay in Sampson County.”

Holiday Hope was created by his wife, Lynn Pritchard in 2015 to help children throughout the county.

“By making our own organization to do this toy drive, we can control where the toys go and that’s going to be right here in the local community,” he said.

Along with adults, the Pritchards were also excited about local students who helped out. In 2016, Connor Shirley and Rosemary Sprague, who were crowned as the king and queen of Plain View Elementary School. They wanted to make a contribution to Holiday Hope by collecting toys at the school. Support from Plain View will continue this year.

“It was amazing what these young children were able to pull off,” Pritchard said about helping the less fortunate. “It’s really cool to see the young kids embrace it and want to see it grow.”

With donations, Pritchard stressed that all gifts must be unwrapped for safety reasons. DSS will not accept gifts that are wrapped and completely covered.

“The toy drop off is welcome, but we really hope people will bring their toys to the event,” Pritchard said. “We really want the community to come and see what the community can do when everybody comes together and tries to do something special for the kids.”

For more information about the event, contact the Lakewood Country Club at 910-525-4424.

Denise James, right, donates toys to the Holiday Hope in 2016. Trey Wood, left, was one of many assistants for the program which helps Sampson County children.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Toy_2.jpgDenise James, right, donates toys to the Holiday Hope in 2016. Trey Wood, left, was one of many assistants for the program which helps Sampson County children.
Holiday Hope coming Dec. 2

By Chase Jordan

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Reach Chase Jordan at 910-249-4617. Follow us on Twitter at @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.