After receiving a spontaneous donation of two dozen recreational balls by Kenneth Davenport of Rome, the annual Rome News-Tribune’s “Make a Child Smile” Holiday Ball Drive will temporarily revamp into a “Christmas in July” ball drive.

Davenport, a frequent contributor to the holiday ball drive, said he purchases balls almost every week and collects them until the donation time arrives, but a newspaper employee told him he did not have to wait until Christmas to make a donation.

“I just believe in giving back to the community and giving back to the kids,” Davenport said. “If they have a ball to play with, it might keep them out of trouble.”

While the newspaper’s Christmastime ball drive usually benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Georgia, organizer of the event Cecilia Crow, Rome News-Tribune classified advertising manager, decided to try to reach even more youngsters by joining forces with sister paper the Cedartown Standard this summer and donating all the collected balls to the Open Door Children’s Home in Rome and the Open Door Children’s Home shelters kids who have been neglected, abandoned and abused.

The Harpst center is a residential treatment facility for emotionally and behaviorally handicapped children.

“They’re just extraordinary people who help all these children who have been abused or neglected and are left with nothing.” Crow said.

Crow brought the idea for the holiday ball drive from her previous job in California, which has been holding its drive for about 10 years.

“I thought it was a neat thing we did out there and I felt that being such a huge outlet to the community we need to help give back,” Crow said. “It just takes an idea and everybody else runs with it.”

Emily Saltino, vice president of Murphy-Harpst, said she was thrilled to hear of the opportunity to receive donations from the Rome community.

“The most important thing that is going to happen from this is that they will see someone cares about them,” Saltino said. “The balls will be great, but knowing somebody cared enough to do that for them is going to be awesome.”

Gretta Wilson, Open Door Home president, said any donations that keep children active and healthy are always appreciated.

“Right now fundraising dollars are down so any fundraising opportunity we have we welcome,” Wilson said. “The community supports us and we appreciate each and every fundraiser opportunity that is presented to us.”

The drive is expanding donations from just balls to gently and used board games.

All donations can be brought into the Rome News-Tribune office, 305 E. Sixth Ave., Rome, and the Cedartown Standard office, 213 N. Main St., Cedartown, through July 31.