Don’t miss your chance to brighten the Christmas for needy children within the Blue Raider family.

This 2012 “ornament” shows the Christmas wish list for a local boy who could be helped through the Li’l Raiders gift-giving campaign this year. Anyone wishing to help can select one of the ornaments, available on three trees across the MTSU campus, to become the Secret Santa for a local child. (MTSU file photo)

MTSU Public Safety, MTSU Campus Recreation, the OWLs (Older, Wiser Learners), the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students and Golden Key Honor Society and MT Lambda student organizations are jointly sponsoring “Santa’s Li’l Raiders” gift-giving campaign this holiday season to benefit children in need.

From now through Dec. 9, three Christmas trees across campus will be decorated with Li’l Raider ornaments that list a child in need and includes his or her gender, clothing size and holiday wish list.

Revived last year, the effort targets MTSU students with children as well as parents being served by the Domestic Violence Program. About 30 ornaments are available for selection and gift-giving.

“You can see that this really makes a difference. It brings out the meaning of Christmas,” said Sgt. Vergena Forbes, community policing specialist with MTSU Public Safety and a coordinator of the effort.

“It shows the love of Christmas and gives people an opportunity to give.”

Community participants may pick a numbered ornament from a tree at one of the following three locations and register as a Secret Santa there. Stop by the:

• MTSU Public Safety/Campus Police lobby, 1412 E. Main St.
• June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students on the third floor of the Student Union, 1768 MTSU Blvd.
• MTSU Campus Recreation Center, 1848 Blue Raider Drive.

For more information, please contact Sgts. Vergena Forbes or David Smith at 615-898-2424.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)