Item Santa campaign kicks off 2008 season

LYNN – Forty-two years ago, the neediest Lynn families learned for the first time the city’s daily newspaper would help them find joy in the Christmas season.Today, that tradition continues with the kickoff of The Item Santa campaign for 2008, a community fund-raising effort conducted in partnership with The Salvation Army.The generosity of Item readers, corporate donors and individuals has pushed donations past the $100,000 mark 12 consecutive years and campaign organizers hope this one will prove no different despite nationwide economic woes.”As always, our goal remains clear: Raise enough funds to make Christmas a bit brighter for the region’s less fortunate,” said Peter H. Gamage, president and publisher of The Daily Item. “We proudly sponsor the Item Santa in conjunction with The Salvation Army and, as always, hope that our final tally of contributions from the Greater Lynn community will adequately fulfill those in need.”In collaboration with The Salvation Army, the initiative has been bringing the spirit of Christmas into the homes of thousands of Greater Lynn residents during the holiday season with toys, clothing, blankets and other items.Like last year, requests for help from Item Santa were accepted up until Thanksgiving, and applications with supporting materials were submitted directly to The Salvation Army Lynn barracks at 1 Franklin St.Coupons to make donations will be printed regularly in The Daily Item leading up to Christmas.Donations can also be made at Santa Island in Wyoma Square, an annual collection location overseen by the Solimine family.The Salvation Army will distribute gifts on assigned dates in December.Last year, Item Santa raised $117,426.30. In 2006, the campaign did even better, bringing in $125,640. Although 2006 was not a record-breaker it ranked among the top-five years in Item Santa history.In 2005, the fund-raiser brought in $128,318. In 2004, Item Santa collected $115,010, only a few thousand dollars below the 2003 total of $124,386.89.The best year was 2002, which saw donations reach $144,880.87. The record-breaker was a mere $10 more than the 2001 total.The history of Item Santa began during the Vietnam War, when the newspaper agreed to put its resources behind the fund-raising campaign by publicizing stories and pleas for assistance. The first effort brought in $3,269.”People of Lynn and Greater Lynn are very giving and have always come through big for Item Santa,” said Sean Leonard, the Item’s editorial page and feature sections editor who has coordinated fund-raising for the drive for the past three years. “With the troubled economy, it’s not cliché to say that this year the need is greater than ever.”Click here to download a coupon to make a donation to Item Santa.Mail it, along with your check, to The Item Salvation Army Santa, P.O. Box 951, Lynn, MA 01903. For more information, call the Salvation Army at 781-598-0673.