WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — The City of Warner Robins and the Warner Robins Fire Department are collecting donations for West Central Georgia Regional Hospital in Columbus.
Mayor LaRhonda Patrick says it's a decades old tradition that she's continuing now that she is mayor.
"I learned when I got into this role that there is another tradition that the city odes around the Christmas time and that is the Mayor's Motorcade that is benefitting mental health in our state. The City of Columbus, Georgia, they house one of those mental health facilities that are in operation. They have 194 beds and they are in need of supplies. It's an inflated market. We all know. We are all feeling that, but they are in need of supplies," Patrick said.
They are collecting clothing items, like shirts, pants, jackets, socks, undergarments; and hygiene items, like toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion.
"They ask every year, mayors across our state, to do this motorcade, and get a huge donation of supplies that they can use next year that they can give to their patients, so the City of Warner Robins has always participated and I look forward to collecting as many things I can," Patrick said.
Warner Robins Fire Chief Ross Moulton says he looks forward to this tradition every year.
"The fire department, we love to serve our community; and even though the hospital is a little outside of the area, we still love supporting those people in Georgia that have disabilities. As long as I can remember being a firefighter, I can remember loading gifts inside a fire car, shampoo, jackets, and sweaters, you name it. We have local partners who have helped us with this. It has been apart of my history, so we enjoy delivering those gifts," Chief Ross Moulton.
You can start donating items now until December 2. All donations can be dropped off at City Hall. That's located at 700 Watson Boulevard. They can also be dropped off at the Warner Robins Fire Department located on North Pleasant Hill Road.
They plan to pack the items in a Warner Robins fire truck and deliver them to Columbus, Georgia, on December 6.