The White Doves Holiday Project will officially kick off its 17th year at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 as it hosts the grand opening of the “White Doves warehouse” at the Martin County Fairgrounds.

The annual event features singing by children from Warfield Elementary, refreshments and the arrival of Santa Claus.

A special addition this year is the inaugural Holiday Spirit Challenge among the three Martin County high schools. The high school that collects the most toys for White Doves will be awarded a traveling trophy – the White Doves Holiday Project Spirit Challenge Award.

The grand opening will be held in memory of Dick Schwinkendorf, who passed away in August. He was the White Doves warehouse manager for six years, devoting hours of volunteer time to the project, which brings toys and a holiday meal to thousands of children each year.

George Phillips, a longtime White Doves volunteer, will be the warehouse manager this year.

The White Doves chairpersons are Tom and Lisa Haley, who have been involved in the holiday project for many years, helping to distribute turkeys, hams and toys. Tom is the owner of Buy the Hour Builders, and Lisa owns an Advanced Laser Therapy franchise.

The Haleys came up with the idea to have the Holiday Spirit Challenge among the high school students. “We want to get a new generation involved in White Doves,” Tom Haley said. “We hope this generates a lot of excitement among the students and their families.”

ABOUT THE WHITE DOVES HOLIDAY PROJECT

The White Doves Holiday Project serves as a central clearinghouse for donated food and toys at holiday time. The massive undertaking is a project of the United Way Volunteer & Community Resource Center (VCRC) and pools the resources of dozens of volunteers, community groups, agencies, families, businesses and faith-based and civic organizations.

Among the participants, for example:

* The Boy Scouts annually supply more than 10 tons of nonperishable food collected through the Scouting for Food drive, held this year on Nov. 12.

* Clients of the ARC of Martin County will double-bag grocery bags, and then Girl Scouts will fill the bags with the donated food.

* The Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program will stock the warehouse with new toys donated by people at more about 70 sanctioned collection points throughout Martin County.

This year, the White Doves Holiday Project is expecting to serve about 1,200 families. Families get to choose two to four toys per child and receive the staples for a holiday meal, including a turkey or ham. About 100 families will be “adopted” and some homebound families – many senior citizens typically served through the Council on Aging – will receive deliveries of food.

Donations can be dropped off at the White Doves warehouse, Building B at the Martin County Fairgrounds, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Dec. 5 through Dec. 19. New, unwrapped toys may also be dropped off at sanctioned Toys for Tots locations.

Monetary donations for the purchase of turkeys and hams can be sent to VCRC, P.O. Box 362, Stuart, FL 34995.

More information is available at www.martinvolunteers.org/whitedoves.