The City of Douglas will be doing its part to make the holiday season special for residents of Georgia’s hospitals serving persons with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs.
For 59 years, cities across Georgia have brought the joy of the holiday season to patients at Georgia’s regional behavioral health hospitals through the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade. The program, begun by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) in cooperation with Governor Ernest Vandiver and his wife Betty Vandiver, relies on citizen participation in each city to donate gifts for the patients, many of who would not receive gifts or be recognized without the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade.
According to hospital staff, many of the patients at these hospitals have little, if any, support or contact with friends and family. Most patients are Caucasian and African American adult men and adult women with an average age of 39 (61 percent male/39 percent female). Items needed are clothing sizes Med-4XL Women or Med-3XL Men (Men’s pants any size), personal care products (such as toothpaste, non-aerosol/spray deodorant, shampoo), individually wrapped snack items, DVDs (rated G or PG), board games, stationary, gift bags, etc. Please view the detailed list at https://gmanet.com/getmedia/cbc03527-75cd-4f1c-9df2-5f876d4bcd5b/Wish-List2018.aspx/, prior to purchasing items. Boxes for donations are located at City Hall (224 E. Bryan Street), and Douglas-Coffee County Parks and Recreation Department (200 S. Madison Avenue). Items should be dropped off prior to November 30, 2018. Donated items from the City of Douglas are scheduled to be delivered to Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah, on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.
Civic organizations, businesses, churches, schools, scout troops and individual citizens are encouraged to help with the collection of gifts for the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade. Persons or businesses who wish to make a monetary donation, should make checks payable to The City of Douglas, ATTN: Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade, 211 S. Gaskin Avenue, Douglas, Georgia, 31533. For more information on how groups can participate, please call the City Manager’s Office at 912-389-3401.