VALLEY — Ray Edwards’ annual Christmas stocking distribution began Wednesday morning and will continue through Friday. A total of 462 stockings will be delivered to local homebound seniors or given away at local senior centers. Edwards and family members have been doing this for more than three decades now. He started it when he was serving on the Valley City Council and is now continuing it as he’s serving as board chairman of the Alabama Department of Senior Services.
Despite the fact that 2024 has been a difficult year for him personally he is giving away more stockings this year than he ever has.
“It’s been a tough year,” he said Wednesday morning on his first stop at the Valley Senior Center. “I lost my grandson T.J. Yates and my wife Jackie went to assisted living. This is the first Christmas season they haven’t been at home with me for a long, long time.”
Giving out the stockings is always a happy time. For most people, Christmas is a fun time of year, and everyone was laughing and smiling as the stockings were being given out at the Valley center at 10 a.m. and in La nett an hour later.