The holiday season for 2020, for all intents and purposes, has unofficially kicked off.

It’s not only downtown merchants and national chain stores that have begun to push Black Friday-like sales, but community organizations have also begun setting up efforts to collect contributions in order to assist those in need.

The Laurinburg Exchange has jumped into the center of that holiday bandwagon.

Operation Holiday Heroes, which kicked off last week, is the newspaper’s first-ever friendly foray into the community collection drive to benefit Scotland County’s youngsters at Christmas.

We will first give thanks to organizations like ‘Tis the Season, the Scotland County Department of Social Services and the Laurinburg-Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce for partnering with us in this effort and/or assisting with the promotion of the project. Without them, success would be difficult.

With so many efforts by organizations asking for your money during the holiday season, how do you choose?

There is no right or wrong answer here. Every project that asks for tax-deductible, monetary contributions will benefit a portion of the community most in need — either with toys, clothing, gift cards and more.

While we will publicize them all as best we can along the way, we obviously will be partial to Operation Holiday Heroes since this is our first time getting in line to ask for your financial help during the holidays.

For us, this is big — and it will become an annual project at the end of the year.

But this one, the first one, is the biggest for us. We know we are asking a lot during a challenging time for everyone. Individuals, families and businesses have been facing trying times in 2020, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.

But as much as we all have had to make changes in our lives, there are those in our community whose opportunities, options and lives have been devastated because of COVID-19. The children of these families are the ones we hope to assist at Christmas.

A donation to Operation Holiday Heroes between now and Dec. 11 will go a long way toward putting a smile on a child’s face and in their heart. Regardless of what you can contribute, large or small, you will rightly be considered a Holiday Hero.

Donations can be made in cash or check (made out to Operation Holiday Heroes) only, and a receipt will be available. You may donate anonymously, in your name or in memory of someone. All contributions will be listed in the newspaper.

Scotland County, you’ve always had a huge heart for giving, and we hope that will be more evident than ever before during Operation Holiday Heroes.

In advance, thank you.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but what we give.”