SPIRIT OF GIVING

Time is running short.

Only 11 days remain before Christmas.

And there's only one day left -- tomorrow is the deadline -- for people to apply for help to the Richmond Christmas Mother.

The Richmond Christmas Mother Fund was established in 1935 to provide needy children and families with toys, clothing, food and other assistance during the holidays.

It was founded by John Stewart Bryan, publisher of The Richmond News Leader, the city's afternoon newspaper. In 1940, the Bryan family also bought the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and the two newspapers ultimately merged in 1992.

The Salvation Army now administers the fund as part of its citywide Christmas programs.

This year's Richmond Christmas Mother is Charlotte M. Minor, at one time co-owner and director of the Reynolds/Minor Gallery. She is the wife of G. Gilmer "Gil" Minor III, chairman of the Owens & Minor board of directors.

To apply for help:

Requests for assistance should be made in writing to the Christmas Mother Fund, P.O. Box 12400, Richmond, VA 23241, Attn: Christmas Mother.

People seeking aid must include their addresses and phone numbers in their written requests. Aid requests for children ages 15 years or younger must be made by a custodial parent or guardian.

Letters must include the reason for needing aid as well as the mailing address, phone number and the name and ages of the child or children included in the request.

To donate:

There are several ways to donate to the fund:

Online: Visit inRich.com, search keyword: Christmas Mother and use the online form to make a donation.

By mail: Monetary contributions to the fund may be sent to The Christmas Mother Fund, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293-0001. Checks should be made payable to the Richmond Christmas Mother Fund.

In person: Monetary donations may be dropped off in The Times-Dispatch lobby at 300 E. Franklin St. -- a donation box is on the front counter -- or with the receptionist in the Media General Building at 333 E. Franklin St.

Food, new toys, new clothing and other new items may be taken to the Salvation Army Christmas Center at 1101 E. Laburnum Ave. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For questions about The Salvation Army's Christmas assistance program, call (804) 433-1127. For general questions, call The Salvation Army at its Richmond-area headquarters, (804) 225-7470.

Donations to the fund include:

Family, friends, residents and staff of

Imperial Plaza

Retirement Community-------------------------$679.61
Anonymous-------------------------50.00
W.C. Wildman Jr.-------------------------25.00
Anonymous-------------------------500.00
Gwyn Rauppius-------------------------100.00
In memory of Trey Kinder

from Lynne Kinder-------------------------100.00
In loving memory of Anne Burns

and in remembrance of her birthday,

from Beth and Jack Rogers-------------------------100.00
In honor of

Charlotte and Gil Minor

from Bobbi Jo and John Hampton-------------------------50.00
Happy holidays to Charlaine Harris's

Fantastic Board Moderators-------------------------25.00
Wishing Everyone Happy Holidays,

Charlie, Debra and Stephanie Colpo-------------------------500.00
In honor of Sue Taylor

with love from The Tuesday Girls-------------------------100.00
In memory of my parents

from Henry Pollard Cobb-------------------------100.00
In memory of

Philip H. Hickerson,

Nell Peyronnet Drew, and

Nellie Mae Moyer Peyronnet

from Lewis and Gale Drew-------------------------150.00
In memory of my husband

John H. (Hickie) Liggins

from Pearl J. Liggins-------------------------250.00
In memory of Johanna Prumos

and Mae Rothenberger

from Jim Nolan and Missy Burke-------------------------100.00
In honor of Juliet Cranshaw

from Becky & John Clarke-------------------------50.00
In honor of Paige & Kirk Aderholt

from Becky & John Clarke-------------------------100.00
In memory of

Gladeston Butler III

from I. Blair Clarke Jr.-------------------------50.00
Our dearest supportive families

Terrell, Elliott, Cynthia, Shep,

Charlie, Lisa, our special love,

Mom and Dad-------------------------2,000.00
In loving memory of

Marietta and Garnett Hall

from their grandchildren and

great-grandchildren:

Martie, Betsy, Rick, Berkeley, Garnett,

Harrison, Virginia, Page, Mary, Allie, Ned,

Mary, Coles, Hooks, Cabell, David, Garnett,

Berkeley, Bower and Serpell-------------------------350.00
In loving memory of Jack from Anne-------------------------250.00
In joyful thanksgiving for Jackson,

Graham, Sadie, Lily and Amelia-------------------------250.00
In memory of Milton Glaser and

Avery Bugg and in honor of

Malone Morchower from

Gammy and Ed-------------------------100.00
In honor of Charlotte Minor

from The Woman's Club-------------------------100.00
In honor of Cleiland Donnan

from the Boys and Girls of

The Junior Assembly Cotillion-------------------------2,168.75
In honor of the

Valued Clients of SunTrust

Private Wealth Management-------------------------3,000.00
Merry Christmas from

Roxshire (subdivision)-------------------------121.50
In memory of

Marion and Cecil Arledge from

Col. and Mrs. Felix G. Millhouse-------------------------400.00
James J. Popolo-------------------------25.00
In memory of

Julie Williams Layfield from

the Birthday Club:

Margaret, Nancy and Susan-------------------------100.00
Charles and Alice Wiker-------------------------100.00
In honor of Charlotte Minor

from Mary and Hugh White-------------------------100.00
In memory of our grandson,

John A. Conrad Jr., from

Mr. and Mrs. C. Phillip Barger-------------------------100.00
In memory of: Bun Wyatt

from: Saturday Wedgies-------------------------215.00
Virginia Lee R. Anderson-------------------------100.00
In honor of Charlotte Minor

and in memory of Frank Edmonds

from Sidney Davenport-------------------------200.00
In memory of Richard Monroe,

Bill & Lil Compton,

Walter and Susan Samson

from The Compton Family-------------------------25.00
In honor of our grandchildren:

Lily, John, Teddy Damgard,

Thomas, Hattie, Davis Hunter,

Jack, Sally, Lucy Siewers

with love, Mimi and Granddaddy-------------------------150.00
In tribute to Charlotte and the

Caring Canines Therapy Group

from Dreamer-------------------------100.00
Elizabeth Y. Hall-------------------------100.00
In memory of Carl Taylor

from Frances Taylor-------------------------100.00
Edith Willis Badger-------------------------25.00
Anonymous-------------------------75.00
In memory of husband,

Lt. Col. Lee Moore, and son, Mark,

from Jeanne W. Moore-------------------------100.00


TODAY'S TOTAL ------------------------- $13,384.86
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED-------------------------$107,542.80
GRAND TOTAL ---------------------- $120,927.66