LWU students, faculty and staff donate more than 100 pairs of socks, two dozen throws, a dozen teddy bears, 96 bottles of hand lotion and toys to help Columbia-Adair County’s underprivileged children and elderly.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (12/12/2025) Before they left campus for Christmas break, Lindsey Wilson University students, faculty and staff made sure that underprivileged Columbia-Adair County residents will have a merry and warm Christmas.
Members of the LWU community donated more than 100 pairs of socks, two dozen throws, a dozen teddy bears, 96 bottles of hand lotion and several toys to Operation Christmas Spirit.
Sponsored by the Columbia Police Department, Operation Christmas Spirit is a community drive that assists Adair County children and elderly along with residents at Signature HealthCARE at Summit Manor.
“We appreciate the partnership with Lindsey WIlson University — their students and their staff — and we look forward to the next partnership,” said Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots, who joined Columbia Chief of Police Evan Burton to collect the items on Thursday, Dec. 11, donated by members of the Lindsey Wilson community.
Burton said the donations will make a difference in the lives of many less-fortunate Adair County residents this Christmas season.
“We enjoy coming up to Lindsey Wilson and working with the students and staff,” said Burton. “These donations will help us bring a brighter Christmas to people on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.”
Lindsey Wilson Director of Student Activities Stephanie Blackwood said she was impressed with the level of support shown by the university’s students, faculty and staff, but she wasn’t surprised.
“When Mayor Hoots brought this idea to us, we immediately wanted to support it because we love to branch out into the community,” she said. “The community pours so much into our students, and we like to give back to the community whenever we can.”
Blackwood said the university community’s response to Operation Christmas Spirit is also an example of “putting the Lindsey Wilson mission into action beyond the campus.”
“It was wonderful that the campus took the time to embrace the spirit of the season and the university’s mission,” said Blackwood.
Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots, left, and Columbia Chief of Police Evan Burton collect items for Operation Christmas Spirit on Thursday, Dec. 11, in the Cralle Student Union Building that were donated by members of the Lindsey Wilson University community. Lindsey Wilson Director of Student Activities Stephanie Blackwood, second from left, coordinated the community drive on campus.
Some of the items members of the Lindsey Wilson University community donated to Operation Christmas Spirit. The items were collected on Thursday, Dec. 11, in the Cralle Student Union Building by Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots and Columbia Chief of Police Evan Burton.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)