GEORGETOWN, Del. - Hundreds of locals gathered in downtown Georgetown on Thursday, Dec. 5, for the 41st annual Caroling on The Circle, an event hosted by Sussex County to celebrate the holiday season and support families in need. According to county officials, the event has become a long-standing tradition that blends festive cheer with community giving.
According to the county, the food drive will continue through December, with donations supporting food pantries that serve local families during the winter.
Caroling on The Circle was launched in 1984 as part of Delaware’s Delaware First initiative and continues to be a hallmark event for Sussex County. According to county records, more than 800,000 food items have been donated through this program over its 41-year history.
For the first time this year, Sussex County partnered with the Food Bank of Delaware. Facilities Manager for the county Dale White says it's a collaboration that could make a big difference for our neighbors.
"The feedback from the foo banks is that it's going to be a tremendous partnership that helps them provide the goods for Sussex County," said White.
Through the partnership, local pantries receive their fair share.
"We've done it to all the local shelters here in Georgetown, the Shepherd's Office, the Giving Hands."
Jim Martin with The Shepherd's Office says the donations they receive help them continue their mission of service.
"We're very grateful. There's a lot of pockets in the county that have hungry people, we know we're not the only program. So we definitely want to share and we feel like all the donations should go out to the county wide areas," said Martin.
As of Thursday night, the county now has 17,250 donations between physical and monetary donations. The event put them over halfway to their goal of 30,000 donations.
In 2023, they totaled roughly 25,000 donations.
WAYS TO DONATE:
- Bring donations to the donation drop box at the Sussex County Administrative Offices located at 2 The Cir, Georgetown, DE 19947
- Call the Sussex County Administrative Offices to coordinate a donation pick up if you have a large quantity of items.
- Click here
