Employees of the Huddle House are once again holding a toy drive for the needy children of the community.

Last November, staff members sprang into action when they realized that no one was sponsoring a "Secret Santa Program" in Lincoln County. Due to their efforts and the generosity of the citizens of the county, 113 children had a Christmas they will never forget.

"Last year was a great success, even though we had short notice," said Richard Brown, owner of the Huddle House. "We're hoping to do even better this year."

In addition to collecting presents, Brown is also throwing in a free meal, which will be sent to the child along with the toys, when an individual or group donates either $25 worth of toys or makes a $25 contribution to the initiative.

To date, the Huddle House has received numerous toys and $900 in financial contributions. In fact, vendors at Powell's Auction Barn donated $400 in toys to the drive Saturday night.

The toys, which are being housed in a storage building on loan from Edwin Bentley, will be delivered by personnel with the Lincoln County Department of Public Safety using special sleighs.

In other comments, Brown said, "Due to the economy, we're expecting twice as many children this year, so please keep on giving.

"The success of the program depends solely on contributions from individuals, businesses, and other groups in the community. We have to do something to provide gifts for those children in our community, who would otherwise receive nothing for Christmas," he continued. "We'd like to thank everyone in advance for their help."

During the next few weeks, local residents are encouraged to drop off new toys or monetary contributions at the Huddle House or The Lincoln Journal to ensure that each and every child in the county has the merriest of Christmases.

To submit a child's name for inclusion in the program, contact Dot Columbro at 706-359-6240. For general information about the toy drive, contact Richard Brown at 706-359- 5360.