The daily list of donors to the Press Herald Toy Fund is sprinkled with the familiar names of faithful supporters who have become more like old friends.

And none is ‘older’ or more faithful than JOCIJIANNA, whose 72nd annual gift is listed below.

The story of JOCIJIANNA began on the West End of Portland in 1949, when Josiah H. Drummond and Anne (Strahan) Drummond were a young married couple preparing Christmas for their growing family, which would eventually include five children.

Other families in Portland were struggling that year, and a Portland Evening Express columnist asked  newspaper readers to donate money to make sure children did not go without Christmas presents. It was a spontaneous fundraiser that turned into an annual tradition and eventually  became the Press Herald Toy Fund in the Spirit of Bruce Roberts, the pen name of the columnist who made the first appeal.

Josiah and Anne Drummond made a donation that first year, and every year after that. When they died, their children kept the annual donation going.

The name JOCIJIANNA is made up of the first two letters of the names of all five children: Josiah Jr., Cindy, Jimmy, Andrew and Nancy.

Donations from readers of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the Sun Journal in Lewiston and The Times Record in Brunswick allow the toy fund to provide gifts to thousands of children in need in York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Androscoggin and Knox counties. To help, go to pressherald.com/toy-fund.

TODAY’S DONATIONS:

The Women’s Riverside Golf Association $1,045
In memory of Joe Guertin, who loved toys. $50
“#9 of the 12C’s” $120
Arnie MacDonald & Liza Moore $1,000
In memory of Chas Towle Jr. $500
In loving memory of Lucia Pond Bennett & Stanley Taylor Bennett II $300
Thomas Hickey $100
Marcia Campbell & Deborah Evans $25
Richard & Margaret Boislard $75
Richard Vaglia $100
John & Laurie Ernst $1,000
Eleanor Groden & Francis Drummond $100
In memory of our parents – Anna & Domenico Floridino, and Philis & Anthony Peverada. Love, Tony & Angie Peverada $100
In memory of Dick & Arline $100
Lynn and Theresa McCabe $100
Patrice Moran $100
McCormick & Bouchard Eye Care $300
In memory of Paul Sieg & Hunnemans $25
For the children, from M Brown $100
In memory of Slim & Shorty $100
In loving memory of our parents, Carl & Millie Maksut $100
In loving memory of our parents, Joseph & Jacqueline Gagne $100
Merry Christmas from Eugene & Jeanne King $50
In memory of George & Frances Smith, from your daughter, Theresa $30
JOCIJIANNA for the 72nd consecutive year! $500
Catherine Gavin $100
Sarah Smith $100
Ron & Barbara Boes $200
In loving memory of Bill & Barbara Caswell $25
In memory of EBA $100
Merry Christmas from Dianne & Gregg $200
Susan & David Haynes $100
In memory of my Mom, Thelma Gould $25
The Greater Portland Alumnae of Alpha Omicron Pi $25
Anonymous $50
In honor of our five children $100
Newell & Suzanne Augur $100
In loving memory of our parents $25
Happy Holidays! Kim & James Kingsley $50
Anonymous $100
Donation from a former recipient $200
In appreciation of all of our frontline care givers $100
Jeffrey & Margaret Brown $100
In memory of Elsa L Olds $20
Gail O’Connor $10
In memory of my mother $250
Susan Jane Anspacher $100
Michel & Kathy Camire $100
Anonymous $100
In loving memory of David Daggett, Ed Gramlich, & Paul Taylor. They all Loved Christmas! From Audrey Daggett $75
Chris Bachmeyer $50
In memory of Norman & Alda Roy, Edmund & Pearl Conley, and Sandra Graney. Merry Christmas!! $50
Earl & Stasia Goodwin $50
Happy Holidays!! From Russ Lunt $20
In memory of our son Patrick Peaslee, from Tim & Cheryl Peaslee $100
To honor our grandchildren & friends: Alanna, Sam, Jordan, Maria, Noah, Ethan, Lara, Dara, Finn, James, Meri and Oliver. Bill & Mary Jean Holt $300
Robert Slaktowicz $25
In memory of Bob & Peg Jewett $200
In memory of Jim & Janice Owen $50
Ruth Yates $200
Elizabeth Weir $50
Lara & Christopher $25
In loving memory of my husband Wayne, and son William. From Dorothy York $50
Consolidated Home Improvements $100
In loving memory of Paul Phillips Jr & David Phillips. They loved Christmas & children $100
Anonymous $25
Anonymous $100
TOTAL TO DATE:  $115,935

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