ELKINS — The Randolph County Commission will help fund a police organization’s annual Christmas party that helps provide gifts for children.

Brian Kilgore, treasurer of the Fraternal Order of Police Seneca Trail Lodge No. 104, spoke at the most recent commission meeting about the lodge’s annual Christmas party for children.

“Last year we had 320 children that showed up to the Phil Gainer Center from Randolph, Barbour, Tucker, Pocahontas, Grant, and Pendleton counties,” Kilgore said. “In addition to those children, we had about six families and organizations that we donated to.”

Kilgore said money has come in slower this year than in the past, and said the lodge was hoping the commission could help out with this year’s event.

“It’s going to be smaller than it was last year,” Kilgore said. “Not considerable, but we spent $52,000 a year ago, which was a blessing. We purchased everything from socks to clothes to toys for those who attended.”

Kilgore said the FOP projects to spend somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 for this year’s event, which traditionally features food, inflatables, games, crafts, and a host of Christmas characters for the children to enjoy.

“We are still going to have a good 280 kids or more at this year’s party,” Kilgore said. “The money that is brought in for the Christmas party is put in a separate account and is only used for the Christmas fund. It’s not used for any expenditures of our lodge, that’s separate fundraising.”

Kilgore said every family is contacted to see what kind of gift the children attending would like for Christmas.

“The party is about 2 1/2 hours and we have two different groups that come in,” Kilgore said. “We have Santa Claus, the Grinch, we have crafts, face painting, refreshments and things of that nature. We are just coming in and asking hat in hand if you can help us help children.”

Commissioner Cris Siler told Kilgore he was proud of what the FOP has accomplished with the Christmas party over the years.

“You guys have done this for a long time now and we’ve helped for several years,” Siler said. “You guys have done a great job with it, and I’m happy and proud of the job you guys have done with it.”

Commissioners unanimously agreed to support this year’s FOP Christmas party in the amount of $2,500. The money will be taken out of the coal severance tax fund line item in the county budget.

Also during the meeting, the Commission agreed to provide the Beverly Heritage Center with its annual allotment of $12,500.

“We help the Beverly Heritage Center out of our hotel/motel tax that we collect,” Commissioner David Kesling said. “This is the first portion of the annual allotment that we give them each year. We will look to get them the other half in the spring, once we get more from the hotel/motel tax.”

The last funding request on the agenda was from the Corridor H Highway Authority, with the Commission agreeing to provide $5,000. The money will be taken out of the coal severance tax line item.

“In the past we’ve given them $5,000 to help with the Corridor H projects,” Kesling said. “This money goes to help them hopefully get this thing done.”

The next Randolph County Commission meeting will be Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m.