The weather's not the only thing that's warm this time of year. The hearts of Utahns are heated up and intent on bringing joy to people who have special needs or are underprivileged. Among the holiday happenings:
- Until Dec. 22, nine Utah high schools are collecting pennies in the "Millions of Pennies" fund-raiser for the homeless. The money will be donated to the Salt Lake Community Shelter and Resource Center, operated by Travelers Aid Society.The shelter provides emergency assistance to people who are homeless. The benefit is sponsored by Bank One and X-96 radio.
- KUER FM90 and KUED Ch. 7 are joining with Crossroads Urban Center to provide Utahns in need with Christmas dinners.
The public broadcasting stations will hold their annual Christmas Food Drive in front of the Eccles Broadcast Center, 101 Wasatch Dr., on Friday, Dec. 15, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The stations will collect cash donations and nonperishable holiday food items such as frozen turkeys, canned hams, yams, pumpkin, packaged stuffing, cranberries and other holiday foods. Volunteers will be stationed under a canopy in front of the building to unload donations so donors can remain in their cars.
The food will be distributed by Crossroads Urban Center to needy families Friday, Dec. 22.
For information, call Glenn Bailey at 364-7765.
- The Department of Defense Personnel Support Center donated more than 5,000 new surplus military blankets worth more than $75,000 to Travelers Aid Society-operated Salt Lake Community Shelter and Resource Center, the Salt Lake County Rescue Mission and St. Anne's Center in Ogden.
- The Utah Jazz Dancers and Bear, the team mascot, are joining Arby's Salt Lake Co-op to bring holiday cheer to children at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Cottonwood Hospital in Murray, McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden and Ogden Regional Medical Center.
Monday, Dec. 4, four Jazz Dancers and Bear will hand out gifts to the children at each hospital. They'll get items featuring Jazz stars Jeff Hornacek, Antoine Carr and Jamie Watson, plus assorted memorabilia. And Arby's will donate $100 to each hospital to buy toys.
The children will also receive framed photographs taken with Bear and the dancers.
- The Park City Radisson Inn has joined the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. A festive drop-off collection box is in the lobby, and the hotel is providing each guest who checks in between now and Dec. 22 with a donation envelope.
- Utah Jazz forward Antoine Carr helped Salt Lake-area kids raise money for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Utah through the "Throw for the Dough." He helped the children shoot baskets, each of which added money to the total donated by Pizza Hut - up to $2,000 - to buy Christmas gifts for underprivileged youths.