The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – According to Operation Christmas Child shoebox media coordinator Fay Smith, this was a big year this year’s collection drive, coordinated by Samaritan’s Purse, which culminated Thanksgiving week. A record 18,084 gift-filled Christmas Shoeboxes were given by residents of Dayton, Waitsburg, the Tri-Cities, and eastern Oregon.

There were 1,270 more boxes donated this year than last year and a record 196 came from the Waitsburg and Dayton area. That is a increase of 44 above last year’s local collection.

The shoeboxes were brought to Bethel Church in Richland where they were trucked to the Los Angeles area processing center and readied for shipment to needy children in the Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia, Peru, and some Native American Tribes.