Special to the Daily News

HARROGATE, Tenn. — Lincoln Memorial University is collecting clothes, non-perishable food, hygiene items and toys on behalf of the Mission of Hope (MOH).

The drive runs through December 6 when the university will kick off the holiday season with a full day of activities including two performances by the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra (KSCO), a Christmas bazaar and the annual tree lighting on the quad.

This will be the 17th year for the MOH Christmas Campaign. The Christmas Campaign focuses on providing food, new clothing, hygiene items, books and new toys to needy families throughout rural Appalachia.

For a complete list of items needed, please visit www.missionofhope.org.

In the coming weeks, MOH will visit schools in rural Appalachia to distribute toys. The charitable organization makes stops at several local schools including Yellow Creek Elementary in Middlesboro, and Forge Ridge Elementary in Harrogate, Tenn. MOH Executive Director Emmette Thompson will be on hand at the LMU event to receive the collection.

LMU and the MOH have a long history of supporting each other as LMU is one of two schools where the organization funds student scholarships.

The Women of Service Christmas Bazaar is set for a 3 p.m. start. A myriad of festive holiday goods will be available in a heated tent on the quad. Items include holiday wreaths, decorated trees, centerpieces, topiaries and gift baskets. All of the proceeds will benefit LMU’s Women of Service organization which supports students and provides cultural opportunities for students at LMU.

The University’s annual KSCO concert and tree lighting ceremony will also take place that evening. The KSCO will perform in the Sam and Sue Mars Performing Arts Center at the Duke Hall of Citizenship at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The Tree Lighting Ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the quad in front of the Harold M. Finley Learning Resources Center in the Carnegie Vincent Library.

The Mission of Hope was born in response to a local television station broadcast, WBIR’s “Hunger for Hope.”

During this broadcast, TV news anchor Bill Williams informed his viewers of the destitution and poverty in rural Appalachia by showing real life examples of children and families who suffer from physical hunger in the mountains. One viewer took the report to heart and started the first collection in 1996. That first year, MOH provided for 50 families.

Last year, because of the generosity of so many people, the Mission of Hope was able to help over 17,000 children and their families with food, clothes, toys and hygiene items.

Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is located in Harrogate, Tenn.

For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or e-mail at admissions@lmunet.edu.