SALISBURY — With St. Nick’s holiday visit only a few nights away, time is running out to contribute to the Salisbury Post’s Christmas Happiness Fund. 

While the 2023 campaign has been successful, it still lags slightly behind 2022 totals, when the Christmas Happiness Fund raised more than $44,000 for The Salvation Army of Rowan County. 

So far this year, the campaign has secured almost $36,000 through various donations from donors of all shapes and sizes. 

Any size of donation is encouraged and every cent collected goes directly to The Salvation Army of Rowan County. 

The Salvation Army then 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. 

The process to donate 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. 

Donation forms have been included in Salisbury Post editions for the last month. 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 Jimi White by Gloria White, Jake, Bug and Ruby June — $100

• In honor of Jean Peeler, founder of the Rowan Doll Society and who has been the dearest friend to each club member for nearly 40 years. Jean is an inspiration to us all by Rowan Doll Society — $80

• Anonymous — $60

• In loving memory of loved ones: Blanche, Quiller, Margie, Smit, Mable, Bud, Patricia, Bill, Maw-Maw and Pop — $100

• In memory of Bette Barber by Ed and Elizabeth Cook — $200

• Anonymous — $200

• In memory of Clay Thomas by Vance, Georgianna and Van Thomas — $300

• In memory of Jim and Betty Shuping and in honor of our grandsons — Emmett and Owen Correll and Jack and James Schnepper by Terri S. Correll — $100

• In memory of our deceased classmates by Class of 1959 Boyden High School — $175

• In memory of Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Yost, Evelyn and Dupree Stone, Jack and Peggy Yost, Buddy and Mildred Yost, Frances and Tom Wilson, Edith and John Mesimore, Sue Frick, Anne and Gene Wilson, Jerry Parker, Ronnie Yates, Sr, Patti Stone, Thomas Honeycutt and Sonny Bolmon and in honor of Larry Frick by the Yost cousins — $210

• In memory of Alvin and Vienna Kern by Daniel Kern — $100

• In memory of wonderful sisters Vicky Buchanan and Marla Blake by Laureate Alpha Pi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi — $100

• In honor of our fellow Winged Footers by Charles and Norma Goldman — $50

• In memory of Bobby Osborne, Buck Trent and Terry Baucom and in honor of Kay C. Ricky R. and Patrick P. by Winter Hobos — $3

• In memory of past church members by Crown in Gloria Lutheran Church — $200

• In memory of Patrick Virtue, David Goodman, Danny Benedetto, Scott Rierson and John O Reynolds III by family and friends — $250

Total — $2,228.00

Running Total — $35,606.78