EandNDecember24-2014

The Annual Keep Christmas Alive, for ages 3 to 5, sponsored Redstone Hayswood Connections provided a trailer overflowing with boxes of all sizes and wrapped with green and red paper along with purple and gold bags with educational gifts in them.

The trailer was parked in front of the Weed and Seed Facility, at the corner of Inman and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and attracted 40 kids of all ages. Eagerly, the children pointed to gifts they wanted. Gene Jones, president of Redstone-Hayswood Connections, a community-based website and organization, has made this an annual event that aims to promote education and positivity in the black community.

One lady was delighted to have found someone who had gifts for children. She stated she had been all over town consulting with churches and a city councilman to find gifts for a family that just moved here without any success. Without hesitation, RHC offered their help for the family who was truly in need this Christmas. According to RHC, the organization gives no advance notice regarding the toy distribution, but they show up on Christmas Eve to distribute approximately 100 gifts to children, whose smiles make all their efforts worthwhile.

This year's donations were made possible through the generosity of Redstone Hayswood Alumni located in the Raleigh-Wake Forest area, Clarence Tally Jones, Al Floyd and David Jones II.

Laughingly, Jones said, "We will be back next year but do not tell anyone.''