Numerous personnel from the Spalding County Fire Department (SCFD) and employees from the Spalding County Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) could be found at the Wal-Mart Supercenter Friday morning, but there was no emergency — they were busy shopping for the SCFD’s annual Christmas for Kids program.

The sole purpose of Christmas for Kids is to brighten the lives of Spalding County children living in foster homes during the holiday season.

Each year, SCFD personnel invest countless hours organizing the fund-raisers held to fund the program.

“The work’s not a problem,” said Lt. Keith Tate, of the SCFD, who serves as chairman of Christmas for Kids. “The main thing is the end result — the happiness of the kids and improving somebody’s life.”

Those many hours culminated Friday in a 2 1/2-hour shopping spree.

“I think it went great,” Tate said. “We had 112 kids (to shop for). I don’t know if we took care of them all, but we made a big dent.”

This “dent” took the form of more than one dozen shopping carts overflowing with gifts that will soon be placed under Christmas trees.

Kenya Lovett, DFCS social services administrator, said Christmas for Kids is invaluable to local foster children.

“We can’t say thanks enough to the Spalding County Fire Department. They do so many things throughout the year to support us. This is basically another way for us to show the children of Spalding County that they’re loved,” she said.

While being placed in foster care is necessary at times, it remains a difficult time for children, especially this time of year.

“It’s even harder for the children during the holiday season,” she said. “For a child to get something they may have wanted for a long time, but weren’t able to have — whether it’s that special baby doll, a bike or something else — that is something that puts a sparkle back in their eyes.”