A last-minute donation of $500 has assured that 20 needy children will have clothes and toys and that the Roanoke Rapids Police Club will have seed money for next year's Christmas for Kids program.

With the Roanoke Rapids Chick-fil-A feeding the children, all the proceeds will go toward the Walmart shopping spree set for December 14, Captain Andy Jackson of the city police department said.

Through a fish plate sale, a flag football game and other donations, the police club raised $1,570 for the annual cause.

“It's astounding the support the community has given,” Jackson said. “Even in hard times, people rally for a good cause.”

The shopping spree gets under way at 1 p.m. with lunch at the restaurant on Premier Boulevard. “We're just very gracious to have a place like Chick-fil-A,” Jackson said. “Some of these kids have never been in a Chick-fil-A.”

Following lunch, the entourage heads to Walmart.

As Jackson has observed in the past, the children will head to the clothing department. “Some of these children are in desperate need and go straight to clothing over a toy. We're going to make sure they get a variety of all.”

The fish plate drove a majority of the proceeds for the event, Jackson said. “Herman and Ruth Moseley, we can't say enough about them and their support and ministry. ProBuild gave us a home to set up for the plate sale and Citizens on Patrol volunteered to make it happen.”

Jackson said he was appreciative of KapStone for fielding a team so the Turkey Bowl game could

be renewed another year.

Then there was concessions help from the Royal Palace Theatre, Walmart and the city and county employees who either played in the game or helped behind the scenes.

Undoubtedly, Jackson said, this was the best year in the entire Christmas for Kids effort. “To be held in some of the worst economic times and be the best year makes it an amazing event.”

The police department is working on the list of children who will be taken shopping. “We found in the past, with a lot of kids and the economy, people are unemployed. Parents have part-time jobs or no jobs and are struggling just to eat and have lights. As sad as it is, they can't afford the smallest gift.”