Individual donations of shoe boxes to Operation Christmas Child were up this year, as the total number of boxes collected from the Weyburn area was 950 - an increase of 200 from last year.

The boxes were collected and shipped out of the Weyburn Free Methodist Church, and coordinator Bev Alexander took the boxes to Regina on Thursday. From there the boxes were sent to the central collection point in Calgary, and will start to be sent out to the receiving countries.

Alexander said the donations this year included five teachers' boxes, packed by the teachers of five Weyburn schools, containing teachers' supplies for use overseas.

"We were very pleased with the response this year," she said, noting donations came in from most every town in the Weyburn region.

There were many more boxes from individuals than groups, she added, as boxes only came from four schools - Assiniboia Park, St. Dominic, and the two schools in Radville.

Distribution teams will hand out boxes as they are able, but the bulk of the boxes will be distributed by pastors and teachers in the receiving countries selected for this year. The boxes will be going to children in Central and South Africa, West Africa and Southeast Asia.