The city is having Christmas in July.

Every year the city raises funds to purchase gifts for residents at Southwestern State Hospital in Thomasville through the Georgia Mayor’s Motorcade project. Tifton residents can help raise money and maybe win a bicycle to put under their Christmas tree.

Two bikes — one for a boy and one for a girl — that have been donated by Wal-Mart are on display at Tifton City Hall; raffle tickets are $1. Tickets may be purchased at City Hall or at the Code Enforcement office at the Tift County Administration Building.

Getting your tickets now will help the City of Tifton celebrate Christmas in July. All proceeds go to the Georgia Mayor’s Motorcade project.

The drawing for the bikes will be at 10 a.m. on July 31.

“As mayor, I am extremely excited to be involved with the Motorcade committee this year and ask for everyone to come out and purchase a raffle ticket,” said Tifton Mayor Jamie Cater.

Cities involved in the Georgia Mayor’s Motorcade have fundraisers and collect money and gifts throughout the year for patients at state mental hospitals for Christmas. Tifton’s gifts go to Southwestern State Hospital in Thomasville.

Other hospitals which receive gifts are West Central Georgia Regional Hospital in Columbus, Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital in Rome, Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah, Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, East Central Regional Hospital in Augusta and Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta.

The Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade began in 1958 at the request of Gov. Ernest Vandiver. Besides providing gifts for patients, the program aims to raise awareness of the needs of Georgia’s mental hospitals. There are seven regional mental health hospitals in Georgia, serving approximately 3,200 patients. Many of these patients have lived in the hospital facility for much of their lives and receive little, if any, support from their families.

“Without the Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade, the staffs at these hospitals have told us, many of their clients would not receive a gift at Christmas,” Cater said. “It touches my heart greatly to see the Christmas spirit demonstrated by the citizens of Tifton and Tift County all year round as they support all the different projects our city Motorcade committee sponsors.”

Any of the gifts that are not handed out at Christmas are used for birthdays or given to newly arrived clients. “In this way, cities help the hospitals celebrate special occasions year-round and help the hospitals meet the needs of their clients,” Cater said.

Cater added, “Once again, thank you Tifton. We are known as the Friendly City and I know with your help this event will be very successful.”

Top contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.