Carroll County citizens dug deeper than ever this year to help those less fortunate enjoy a merry Christmas.

The Carroll Christmas Fund generated enough food and supplies for 470 boxes, and toys for more than 500 children, which was then distributed — through the bad weather left in the wake of Dec. 18’s snowfall — to 470 needy families in the county.

“The donations were good and God blessed the project as he always does,” said DeAnn Smith, who helps coordinate the project each year. “The donations kept up with the need. We had wonderful volunteers who showed up, even with the weather, risking their lives to help others.”

Last year, the Fund raised enough to give boxes to 425 families and toys for around 460 children. Smith said she anticipated the need being more this year, and was glad to see folks rally and raise enough to meet those projections.

“We knew the need would be more, and it was,” Smith said.

Each box contains at least one canned ham, and some for larger families have donated turkeys. Also, canned food, flour, cornmeal, nuts, candy, fruit, peanut butter and more go in.

In addition, the Gideons donate Bibles for each box and an anonymous donor bought 500 “Who Is Jesus” DVDs.

“We didn’t know we were going to have that,” said Dennis Ward, who also helps spearhead the annual holiday project. “Hopefully they were provided with physical nourishment and spiritual nourishment.”

Some families received coats, as more than 250 were donated, and all the children of the families in need received toys. Some lucky youngsters got brand new bicycles.

“Gerald Dickerson and his son have taken this on as their project, doing bicycles for the Christmas Fund,” Smith said. “Last year they did 20 and this year he told us he was going to surprise us. He came rolling in at the VFW on Thursday night with 40 bicycles, 20 girls and 20 boys. What little child does not love to see a bicycle under the tree. That was a tremendous donation.”

After all the donations came in, they were boxed at Hillsville VFW Post 1115 on Thursday night and delivered throughout the weekend. Originally, all the boxes were expected to be handed out on Saturday, but the piles of snow Carroll County received on Friday made that a little bit more of an undertaking. Smith said the last of the boxes were distributed on Monday morning.

Ward said it’s a testament to Carroll County’s willingness to lend a hand to others in need — even when that willingness puts them in considerable risk.

“I think it’s amazing that people virtually risked their lives to volunteer to deliver these food boxes,” Ward said. “It was treacherous. Some of them walked half a mile through 14 inches of snow carrying boxes.”