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Holiday Drive starts Monday

The Laboratory's 2003 Holiday Drive to collect new toys, clothing and nonperishable food items for Northern New Mexico residents begins Monday, Nov. 24, and continues through Dec. 15.

Lab workers can "make a holiday wish come true" by visiting a Holiday Drive display and selecting a holiday angel tag for a child or a senior citizen, said Debbi Wersonick of the Community Relations (CRO) Office, which coordinates the Holiday Drive. Each tag has the name and age of a child as well as the child's wish for a clothing and toy item. Lab employees can purchase the items listed on the tag and return the item unwrapped with the angel tag to designated collection boxes around the Lab. The angel tags are available at the collection boxes and at CRO in downtown Los Alamos.

Lab workers also can select a "senior angel tag" and purchase a fleece blanket or lap blanket for needy, elderly individuals in Northern New Mexico, said Wersonick.

Collection sites for this year's Holiday Drive are in the following locations:

• Otowi Building cafeteria lobby at Technical Area 3
• TRK Building, TA-00, Trinity Drive
• Engineering Sciences and Applications (ESA) Division Office, TA-16
• Access Center at Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building, TA-3
• Access Center at TA-55
• Community Relations Office, 1619 Central Ave., Los Alamos
• Industrial Business Development (IBD) Office/Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), 2237 Trinity Drive, Los Alamos.

Other sites may be added.

Wersonick noted that the Lab is conducting this year's Holiday Drive in cooperation with the Salvation Army, which provides assistance to individuals and families in Santa Fe, Española, Los Alamos, Taos, Las Vegas and other Northern New Mexico communities. Items that are collected through the drive will be distributed by the Salvation Army Dec. 19-20, said Wersonick.

"As a new member of the Laboratory community, I am heartened by the spirit of giving I have seen demonstrated by Laboratory employees," said David McCumber, Communications and External Relations (CER) Division leader. "The Holiday Drive is an opportunity for us to help give some of our less fortunate neighbors a holiday they would not otherwise have. Please join me in making someone's holiday a brighter one this year."

Lab organizations or individuals wishing to adopt an entire family can contact Wersonick at 7-7870 or write to sonic@lanl.gov by electronic mail.

-- Steve Sandoval

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