Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade Underway

The annual Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade is underway across the state.

Donations in Lavonia and Royston are being accepted through this afternoon.

And as they do every year, Lavonia Mayor Ralph Owens says they are accepting all kinds of gifts, such as books, CD’s, clothing, slippers, crayons or markers, and small radios.

Lavonia City Clerk Angie Greer tells WLHR News they are also accepting gift wrapping such as ribbon, bows, gift bags and gift tissue paper, but not rolls of wrapping paper.

Also, she said please do not send chewing gum.

Gifts from Lavonia and Royston will be packed up Wednesday and on Thursday they will be taken down to the State Hospital in Atlanta.

Sponsored by the Georgia Municipal Association, the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade began in 1959 after Betty Vandiver, the wife of then Governor Ernest Vandiver visited one of Georgia’s mental health institutions.

The former first lady was so distraught and saddened by what she saw, she and Atlanta Journal columnist Celestine Sibley began a campaign to gather gifts for the residents of the State hospitals as a way of providing holiday gifts for the patients, many of whom, had no family.

There are currently five regional mental health hospitals in the state, serving some 3,200 Georgians.

Many of these clients have lived in the hospital facility for much of their lives and receive little, if any, support from their families.

Without the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade, the staff at these hospitals have told us, many of their clients would not receive a gift for the holidays.

Again, donations may be dropped off today at either the Lavonia or Royston City Halls.