Christmas in Suwanee…that Ahhh feeling…It’s that magical time of the year once again – time for Christmas Trees, Santa Claus, families getting together, gifts under the tree, and for many of our residents, hope that they can provide some of this for their children. As in the past 13 years, the Suwanee Business Alliance uses its 200 plus membership to leverage our collective strength to put smiles on some of these children who may not otherwise have much of a merry Christmas morning.
Each year the SBA uses some of the funds gathered from membership dues, at $60 per year per member, as well as funds raised at our annual golf tournament, to donate cash and toys to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. It’s not so ironic that the United States Marine Corps, made up of volunteers who place their lives on the line every day to protect us, somehow find the time to look back here at home, in our own backyards. Since 1947 they’ve seen that as much as we need them to help protect us, there are children right here in the U.S. who need another kind of protection – they need to have the dreams of Christmas, and Santa, and toys under the tree to be able to treasure happy Christmas memories as they grow up. The children need this – and quite frankly, so do all of us. They need to be able to dream of toys, Santa, Christmas trees, and the warmth and comfort of family – and we need to dream of putting the Christmas spirit – the real Christmas spirit, back into all of our lives by sharing what we are so blessed to have all around us.
Here in Suwanee we live a pretty good life in a great city, abundant with beautiful parks, restaurants, homes, and most of all great people. Not everyone can say that. But we can help a few local families enjoy life a little more, thanks to the US Marine Corps and their love of sharing. And no – this is not a solicitation for your support of Toys for Tots. We rely solely on our membership dues for the contributions we make to the Marine Corps, as well as many other local charities throughout the year. In fact, many of our members voluntarily donate individual toys and even checks to this wonderful group at our annual Christmas party which is the only meeting of the year that is closed to the public. However, we encourage you to support this cause in whatever way you see fit. There are many places around town where you can do so during the Christmas season. Just look for them at http://toysfortots.org/donate/toys.aspx.
In closing, we want to say thank you to all of you who are members and sponsors of the SBA here in Suwanee and for making a difference in our little corner of the world. It’s because of you that we can go out into the community and do the good things that we do. And if you’re not yet a member and would like to learn more about us, visit our website or better yet – come be our guest at one of our monthly gatherings. I can assure you that 70 percent of the people who visit us decide to join. We’re a fun-loving, business-building group that has a big heart!
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at the SBA!
The SBA meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information visit: suwanee.org
