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Dec. 23 was a special day for many Fort Deposit area children.

More than 100 children and parents gathered in the Fort Deposit Park as Sammy Bailey handed out envelopes with Christmas cash inside for the kids.

“I’ve done this for the past four or five years,” Bailey said. “I end up giving around $4,000 or $5,000 always,” the local car dealer and businessman said. “Every child that comes here gets cash to do whatever they want with it for Christmas. I just decided I wanted to help out. I know when I was their age I didn’t have it. I just wanted to give some back.”

Bailey said the rain on Dec. 23 kept the crowd down a little.

“There’s usually way more than this,” he concluded. “I also give a Christmas party for the adults every year and we held that last Saturday. I just want to give back.”