RICHMOND — Like many 7-year-olds, Quincy Emmons has given considerable thought to what he wants for Christmas.

But unlike many other children his age, he’s thinking about other people at this time of year.

On Friday, Quincy and his friend Brady Alexander, 11, will be staffing a table at their hometown Christmas tree-lighting to collect nonperishable food for the needy.

Quincy is not sure what to expect, but he hopes that people will bring canned goods. “My bus driver and my friend’s mom said they would drop off some stuff,” he said.

What got him thinking, he said, is that there seems to be less food available when it’s cold outside. He hopes Santa Claus can pick up the food and deliver it to the people who might need it.

“He has a big heart,” said his mother, Elissa Emmons. Quincy’s teachers at Marcia Buker Elementary School have told her that her son often is the first to help a friend or fellow student who needs a hand, she said.

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Brady, who goes to the same after-school care program as Quincy, said he thought Quincy’s idea sounded good, and when Quincy asked for his help, he agreed to give it.

This week, Quincy’s school printed dozens and dozens of fliers and sent them home with students. At the same time, Elissa Emmons posted the flier on her Facebook page.

Richmond celebrates the holidays every year with a tree-lighting at the waterfront to kick off the season. This year’s event starts at 5 p.m. Friday with horse-drawn wagon rides offered by Hideaway Farm.

Although Quincy doesn’t know how his project will go this year, he’s already thinking ahead to next year, when he’d like to make his effort a statewide project.

And if he does it, he said, he’ll start working on it much earlier in the holiday season.

“The first of December,” Brady said.

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“Yeah,” Quincy said.

Jessica Lowell can be contacted at 621-5632 or at:

jlowell@centralmaine.com

Twitter: JLowellKJ


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