The local charity raised more than $138,500, compared to nearly $137,000 last year.

In the Goodfellows Club Roll Call, donors have the chance to make a donation in the name of someone, in memory of someone, or just in a way that honors someone who has made a difference.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, the kids sat patiently in the stands of the Sportscenter waiting for Santa to arrive and for their turns to select a toy and other goodies.

But this week, the sign helped a group of women raise $1,500 for a local agency that provides Christmas to less fortunate children while issuing basic necessities year-round.

The youngsters were recommended by family resource centers at area schools. They are on the free or the reduced-lunch programs or school officials think their families could use an extra boost at Christmas.

The couple who live on West Cloverdale Drive donated $25 in honor of members of the "Messiah" and "Two from Galilee."

For the first time, Santa Claus was to be played by Capt. Ed King, an instructor and inspector with the Owensboro Marine Corps Reserve, who was replacing longtime volunteer Stuart Bailey in the white beard and red suit.

Last week, Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline's 140 employees had a "soup day" to raise money for the Goodfellows Club.

"And we haven't had an excessively cold early winter," said Shannon Burke, the family resource center coordinator at Cravens. "Goodfellows has served more than 50 of our kids just with clothing."

And Santa Claus will come a couple of days early for the children attending the annual Goodfellows Christmas party.

Gay Lynn Lile, the district nurse with Owensboro Public Schools, said it's part of trying to address such a great need.

And teachers at the school wanted to do something to give back.

And at the written request of Karen Anderson and Lane Langford, that's all they brought.

That was the picture newspaper accounts painted of Owensboro on Dec. 24-25, 1937.

No one wants his or her child to be forgotten at Christmas.

"I thought it was such a good group that I suggested our National Junior Honor Society hold a Rock-a-Thon and raise money for Goodfellows," said Pernisek, who was the group's sponsor until this year.

The Executive Inn Rivermont raised $1,573 for Goodfellows with its second annual Rockin' for Kids concert on Nov. 30.

From identifying students in need to getting them the necessary clothes or school supplies, the resource directors are the ones who make it happen, said Carla Vied, secretary of the Goodfellows Club board.

The church, which is still recovering from an Oct. 18 tornado, will host the Goodfellows Club's fourth annual Community-Wide Soup Day for Kids from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Goodfellows Club works throughout the school year to provide children in need with new school clothes and shoes. Often, the club makes the difference between a child wearing new clothes or secondhand items to class.

Some families experiencing hard times probably wonder if Santa will remember them this year. The Goodfellows Club does its best to perpetuate the spirit of the jolly ole elf so no child will be forgotten this special season.

The church's programs are so popular that people can end up standing in the back of the auditorium, said Carson Smith, who is involved with this year's musical.

First Christian Church will host the 67th performance of George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" -- not Third Baptist Church, which was severely damaged by the Oct. 18 tornado.

Store owner Jaye Moseley Evans is donating $5 from each one sold to Goodfellows, which makes the "Excursions Angels" shirts angels to the local nonprofit group as well.

When a tornado struck downtown Owensboro on Oct. 18, many families living at the Budget Inn lost everything they owned. Almost immediately, the Goodfellows Club went to work, buying new school clothes for children affected by the tornado the next day.