Not unlike Santa Clause, PCS Phosphate of Hamilton County was well prepared with the vision of gift-giving to needy children, as a prelude to the Christmas holiday season.

The White Springs cooperation and its many employee “elves” were on the job early-on collecting hundreds of gifts – school supplies, books and bags, candy and numerous items of need – earmarked for the hard-hit school children of Iraq. It was a labor of love for the company and many local employees who saw service in the Iraqi theater with the Florida National Guard.

PCS’s “Santa bag of joy” would be delivered to an individual on duty in the war zone – SFC Joe Subic. A school located in the International Zone, that had been hit hard with numerous car bombings, was chosen to be the recipient of the needy items laced with holiday spirit, love and concern from a caring Florida community.

Security was a point of concern at that particular school and in the surrounding area, prior to the delivery of the needy items to the Iraqi students. Children’s safety was paramount, and a team of four U.S. military vehicles and 12 soldiers, insured that Santa would not be deterred from his appointed task – making children happy, whether here at home or on foreign soil.

A teacher at the Iraqi school indicated that the students had been without needed school supplies for approximately one month. Santa reported back to PCS the overwhelming joy and elation displayed by the children at the time of his delivery.

“It was truly a ‘Ho Ho Ho’ and ‘Merry Christmas’ for an impoverished group of youngsters,” stated Santa. “The spirit of true gift-giving was upheld in its finest tradition – from Hamilton to Iraq.”