SALISBURY — The Salisbury Post Christmas Happiness Fund offers people the chance to make a difference in young children’s lives around the holidays while honoring people who have impacted them in a positive way. 

This week, one donation to the Christmas Happiness Fund paid tribute to a the Post’s former publisher, Jimmy Hurley.

“There are an infinite amount of stories there on Jimmy,” said John Henderlite, who made the donation. “(He) was such a privilege to know, just an extraordinary individual.”

Henderlite said that he liked to donate in honor of Hurley because of how “instrumental in starting and sustaining the Christmas Happiness fund” that he had been. 

The Christmas Happiness Fund began in 1952, when then-Salisbury Post editor Spencer Murphy and Lucille Donnelly, head of the Rowan County Welfare Department, put their heads together to try and improve the holidays for less fortunate families in the community.

Henderlite indicated that during those nascent years, it began small, but soon grew and flourished. 

“It raises a significant amount of money this time of year,” Henderlite said. 

Its success today can be traced at least in part to the Hurley’s contributions and support. 

“The Hurleys promoted it, supported it financially and endorsed it,” Henderlite said. “When they get behind something in the community, the community responds in a positive way. (The Christmas Happiness Fund) still exists to this day and is still doing quite a bit of some good promoting good will and making Christmas happier for a lot of families. 

The process to donate, like the Henderlites, is simple. Individuals donate to the Christmas Happiness Fund, which is collected by the Salisbury Post. Typically, donations are made in honor or memory of someone. 

All of the funds that the Post collects are given to the Rowan County Salvation Army, which issues gift cards to families to buy presents. Recipients register in advance through the Christmas Bureau, which hosts an application drive where families apply for multiple programs, including Christmas Happiness and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree. 

Donation forms have already started appearing in the newspaper. Any contributions collected after the drive concludes are rolled over into next year’s fund. 

Contributions can be brought to the Salisbury Post, located at 131 W. Innes St., weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or mailed to Christmas Happiness c/o Salisbury Post, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145. 

Checks can be made payable to Christmas Happiness Fund and donations can also be placed in the Salisbury Post front door mail slot.

Donations that have come in so far include:

• In memory of Nancy Penley and Debbie Carter by Brown Bag Readers Book Club — $260

• In honor of our son Matthew and our grandson Wyatt by Melvin and Faye Heilig — $75

• In loving memory of Judy and Mary Starkey and Ruby and John Brown. In honor of Bradley, Eli, Brian and Anna by Frank — $300

• In memory of Arthur, Gertrude, Jay and Peggy by Steve and Martha Thackery — $46

• In memory of 2 special ladies, our moms, Irene Mikkelson and Nagiyo Liles by Daniel and Winnifred Mikkelson — $100

• Women of the Moose 1197 — $100

• In loving memory of my parents James and Georgia Ryan and my brothers Jimmy and Mike Ryan by Kathy Ryan Stoessel — $25

• In memory of James Alexander by Sylvia and Pam Alexander — $50

• In memory of our parents Harry and Irene Rinehardt, Terry and Mary Ann Sifford and in honor of our friends and family in lieu of Christmas Cards by Tim and Janie Sifford — $100

• In memory of Gary Pinkston by Betty Pinkston — $100

• In memory of the illustrious Arthur Hunt by Eureka Lodge #45 — $100

• In memory of Curtis and Mary Jane Ward, Buddy and Jeanette Lefler, Judy Gainey and Sam Ward by Jeff and Rhonda Ward — $50

• In memory of Alvin and Joyce Smith by Jeff and Rhonda Ward — $50

• In honor of our wonderful neighbors in Long Ferry Farms in Spencer by Kelly and Carol Everhart — $50

• In loving memory of John, Barbara and Rick Wise by Kathy — $50

• In memory of A D and Jane Powell and Donald Julian by Salcoa Contracting — $1,000

• In memory of David L Huffman by Jennifer, Jimmy, Mckenzie and Chase Shoaf, Katie and Lee Sells and Kyle Huffman — $100

• In memory of our grandparents William L. and Anne Huffman and Dawson and Ethel Weatherman by Jennifer Shoaf and Kyle Huffman — $100

• In memory of Ruth E. Deadmon by Jennifer Shoaf and Kyle Huffman — $50

• In loving memory of my sister Leslie Tucker and my mother Lettie Mabry by Linda and Terry Thomas — $100

• In memory of Janice “Jan” Samuelson, my friend, love of my life by Dana Samuelson — $100

• In memory of Barbara Sims (Mom) by Joseph Sims — $100

• In keeping alive the sorority’s international program theme “Soaring to Greater Heights of Service and Sisterhood” by the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Delta Xi Omega — $500

• In memory of parents Thomas Leroy and Laura Neely, husband Vernon and son Anthony by Phyllis Thomside — $100

• In memory of Jimmy by Hen and John — $100

• In honor of my relatives and other friends by Harold Poole — $50

• In loving memory of Dennis Sims by Dorthy Sims — $100

 

Total — $3,856

Running total — $29,913.78