For at least the past 25 years United Way of Gordon County, the Voluntary Action Center (VAC), Gordon Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Wal-Mart, and students from the Calhoun City Schools and Gordon County Schools have partnered together to sing at Wal-Mart.

Initially the school choruses sang for food but as the need for toys at Christmas grew the focus of the program changed to toys.

The tradition continues again this year with two big changes. For all the previous years, the students sang on the first or second Friday in December, but this year they will sing on Thursday, December 6 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Wal-Mart.

This change will eliminate the conflict families have had due to the success of the Calhoun football team’s trips to the Georgia Dome.

Another significant change is only elementary students will be singing. As both school systems grow, the number of schools required that we sing on two days.

This year it was decided that the elementary chorus groups would be our only performers. The middle and high school choruses are involved in a variety of programs, but the elementary schools do not do quite as many.

Hopefully this new tradition will work well and families and friends will be able to join the fun of listening to children sing Christmas music.

The EMS volunteers will be outside at Wal-Mart collecting toys or contribution for the VAC’s Christmas toy program. They will be at Wal-Mart on Friday and Saturday beginning November 30-December 1; Thursday, December 6; and Friday and Saturday December 7 - 8.

Below is the schedule for the day, Thursday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to come and join in a true Christmas tradition in Calhoun with these chorus groups.

Fairmount Elementary, 9-9:25 a.m.; Sonoraville Elementary, 9:30-9:55 a.m.; Tolbert Elementary, 10-10:25 a.m.; Red Bud Elementary, 10:30-10:55 a.m.; Bellwood Elementary, 11-11:25 a.m.; Swain Elementary, 11:30-11:55; Calhoun Primary, 12-12:25 p.m.; and Calhoun Elementary School, 12:30-12:55 p.m.