UK Employees Help Children Celebrate Holidays With Circle of Love

Circle of Love gifts

“The holiday season is for the children, who, without our university community, may not find anything under the tree. It is a wonderful feeling knowing you helped make it special for them.”

- Anne Coke
co-coordinator

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 6, 2004) -- Hundreds of Central Kentucky children will have a happier holiday this year thanks to University of Kentucky employees.

The 19th annual Circle of Love provides gifts to underprivileged children in Fayette, Bourbon, Scott, Woodford, Madison, Jessamine, Nicholas and Clark counties.

Teachers and counselors from schools in the eight-county Central Kentucky area select students to receive gifts and send the list to members of the Circle of Love committee. UK employees and departments participate in the program by buying gifts from a wish list made by the children.

“The Circle of Love is a special time for the staff at the hospital and medical center to help make the holidays special for a needy child,” said Bonnie Thornton, director of Volunteer Services at UK Hospital. “It is a win-win situation in that we provide gifts to over 800 children each year, and it promotes teamwork in our organization toward a very worthwhile project."

“The holiday season is for the children, who, without our university community, may not find anything under the tree,” said Anne Coke, co-coordinator of the program. “It is a wonderful feeling knowing you helped make it special for them.”

UK employees will drop off gifts at the UK Student Center and UK Hospital Dec. 6 and 7. Schools will pick up the gifts Friday, Dec. 10.

The Circle of Love program began in 1986 benefiting 300 underprivileged children from Fayette County. The following year the program expanded into the counties surrounding Fayette County. Now more than 750 children from around the Commonwealth benefit from the Circle of Love program.