Carol Sing to help CCMI’s Soup Kitchen feed the hungry

Carolers entertained guests in the courtyard of First Presbyterian Church at last year’s Holiday Carol Sing. COURTESY PHOTO Area residents can celebrate the holidays at an old-fashioned sing-a-long and help feed the hungry at the Holiday Carol Sing Thursday, Dec. 10, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fort Myers. Admission is free, but cash donations and canned goods will be accepted for The Soup Kitchen, operated by Community Cooperative Ministries.

It’s the 19th year for the event, which is organized and sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships. Three performances are planned at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The doors will open 30 minutes prior to show time.

“The need for food is absolutely critical this year,” said organizer Sam Galloway Jr. “Rising unemployment and the downturn in our local economy have caused many of our neighbors to ask for food to feed their families for the first time in their lives. Our shelves are bare — we need our community to get together and help with all the canned goods they can.”

Residents who cannot attend the performances may donate canned goods at either the Galloway Ford dealership on Boy Scout Drive or the Coconut Point Ford dealership on U.S. 41 in Estero.

The event is a festival of holiday music and family fun. This year’s performance will feature the First Presbyterian Church Choir, soloists and other special guests singing favorite holiday carols with audience sing-a-longs.

Those in attendance also will be able to visit Santa’s House and see Santa and Mrs. Claus preparing for the holidays with the help of their elves. A live manger scene will be presented in the courtyard of the church.

Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman may make a surprise visit for the children.

All canned goods will benefit Community Cooperative Ministries, which operates The Soup Kitchen on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fort Myers.

The event is a major source of support for the CCMI’s Food Pantry, a non-profit organization that serves more than 1,000 meals per day through the Soup Kitchen, Meals on Wheels and food programs for families in need.

“We feed anyone who is hungry, but we also provide the tools for them to help themselves,” said Executive Director Sarah Owen.

Last year, CCMI received more than $4,800 and 6,000 pounds of canned goods and other non-perishable items from the Carol Sing. The food was immediately distributed to those in need.

For more information, call 332-7687. 