Thank you, Pagosa Springs. Together, we filled 3,154 boxes of joy and hope for Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project.
This year was our best ever — we surpassed all goals and topped the charts for the Southwest Four Corners region. The numbers show that Pagosa truly overflows with generosity:
• Aztec: 420.
• Bayfield: 794.
• Cortez: 721.
• Durango: 1,372.
• Farmington: 1,408.
• Pagosa Springs: 3,154.
Your hearts on mission will put smiles on little faces around the world this Christmas and make a lasting difference.
A big thank you goes to the six business owners who created displays and gave their customers the opportunity to pick up the red and green boxes that brought so many gifts to the Drop-off Center at Grace in Pagosa. This year, six youth clubs also filled boxes for kids: Colorado Kids, Shady Pines, Wolf Creek Wonders and Hot Shots of 4-H, as well as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in both the middle school and high school. The Rotary Club supported us by filling boxes as well.
Many churches — under the leadership of enthusiastic project leaders — gave generously this season to help us reach our goal. These included Centerpoint, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Grace in Pagosa, Jicarilla Apache Reformed Church, Open Door Church, Our Savior Lutheran, Pagosa Baptist Church, Pagosa Bible Church, Restoration Fellowship and St. Patrick’s.
We also had 101 wonderful volunteers from many different groups who built boxes, packed shoe boxes, transported cartons and worked in the Drop-off Center under the leadership of Linda George. They worked as a team to unload, pack, count, fill large cartons for shipping, make cookies and load two 20-foot trucks to transport our boxes, ready for flight out of Denver.
Together, your gifts of love, financial donations and volunteer time will bring joy to the world this Christmas. Thank you, Pagosa Springs, for your giving hearts. You make our little town proud.