MARQUETTE — The Mining Journal’s Cheer Club program will go forward as planned this year with some minor changes — such as a donation drop-off box in the vestibule outside the Journal’s office — to keep donors and organizers safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the annual toy and gift drive, a decades-long tradition at the Journal, still relies on the community’s generosity to provide families in need with presents for their children during the holiday season.

Unwrapped gifts are collected at the Journal’s office — as well as drop-off locations throughout Marquette County — and then distributed to the Salvation Army and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, agencies that ensure the donated presents reach a local family in need.

“We appreciate people’s support,” Capt. Doug Winters of the Salvation Army of Marquette County said. “People who donate toys are what makes this program run and make it successful each year. We appreciate that and it allows us to get those toys to kids in need.”

From Nov. 27 through Christmas Eve, donors can drop off their Cheer Club donations in a box inside the vestibule of the Journal’s office at 249 W. Washington St. in downtown Marquette, as the office remains closed to the public due to the coronavirus.

Due to the pandemic’s impact on the economy, the need for toys and other gifts will likely be higher than ever this year, Winters told the Journal.

“Registration runs until Dec. 4, so we really don’t have a good picture of what the need will be just yet,” he said. “So far, from early registration, we’ve seen a lot of new names we’ve never seen before. We believe the demand is going to be even higher this year than previous years.”

For those looking for a donation idea, Winters said gifts for older children are needed.

“Generally we always get a lot of toys for the younger crowd,” he said. “Toys for ages 10-18 are where we really struggle each year. Gifts could be things like headphones, gift certificates or things like that which the older kids, especially the teens, would enjoy.”

In addition to the Journal’s office, there will also be Cheer Club donation drop-off locations around Marquette County. The locations will be announced on Nov. 27.

Those who donate at the Journal’s office can still have their photo taken and published in The Mining Journal.

In last year’s efforts, 6,800 gifts were collected for local children through the Salvation Army of Marquette County, with 1,719 of those items donated through Cheer Club.

Families in need can register at the Marquette and Ishpeming Salvation Army offices located at 1009 W. Baraga Ave. in Marquette or 222 E. Division St. in Ishpeming and must provide a driver’s license or another form of identification, proof of income and proof of residency. Families can register through Dec. 4.

For more information, call the Salvation Army of Marquette County at 906-226-2241.

Families can register with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul located at 2119 Presque Isle Ave. in Marquette from 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at its financial aid office through Nov. 30. Call the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Marquette at 906-226-3721 to learn more.