Mike Wolanin | The Republic Brianna Scholar, left, gets instructions from Becki Miller before heading out to deliver boxes of gifts from the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund at the Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Tired of feeling the “bahs” and “humbugs” that often come with cloudy skies and colder temperatures?
An easy way to get into the holiday spirit is to deliver gift boxes for the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund.
Distribution gets underway at 8 a.m. Saturday at 2674 Verhulst Drive on the east side of the Columbus Air Park. However, veteran volunteers have said in the past that they often arrive much earlier for the bragging rights of being at or near the top of the line.
As of Thursday, the Cheer Fund was scheduled to deliver 960 gift boxes, each worth more than $150, on Saturday, co-chairman Ben Noblitt said.
There is no registration necessary to deliver for the Cheer Fund. If you are a licensed driver with a vehicle large enough to carry two or more gift boxes, you are automatically qualified the moment you arrive in line Saturday morning.
Since the 3-year-old Cheer Fund headquarters, located just north of the Evolution Training Center, is new to a number of local residents, the organization will use directional signs on Middle Road and Arnold Street, as well as an electronic flashing arrow, to ensure nobody gets lost, Noblitt said.
The line of volunteer deliverers will be directed to come up to the east side of the building and be guided into lines allowing them to enter the building through open garage doors.
After stopping at one of four loading zones, where firefighters and others place gift boxes in their vehicles, the drivers will exit via the west door after they receive their list of deliveries.
Drivers and passengers are asked to remain in their car or truck while picking up gift boxes. The practice has allowed the Cheer Fund to complete all deliveries in about 90 minutes, Noblitt said.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
