ZELIENOPLE - With Christmas nearing, the Zelienople Rotary Club is helping young flood victims celebrate the holiday with a Christmas ornament campaign.

Dubbed "Flood the Kids With Love," the campaign aims to bring Christmas to the children of flood victims by hanging ornaments with their names on trees in three Zelienople businesses, said club president George Villegas.

The businesses are Citizens Bank, Fidelity Bank and Beecher's Gelato and Gourmet Coffee.

With the names provided by the Grace Church of Harmony, the trees are decorated with ornaments displaying the child's name, age and gender.

People can then pick an ornament and shop for a gift for the child and return it, unwrapped, to the business by Dec. 18, when Rotary Club members will wrap and distribute the gifts.

"When someone can give, even if it's something small, it can make a big difference to these kids," Villegas said.

Although the club started with 100 names hung on the trees, Villegas said more may be added because all of the ornaments at Beecher's have been taken.

Villegas said a man, who wants to remain anonymous, took 33 of the remaining 34 ornaments in the café after learning about the program.

Villegas said the anonymous man, who himself is a flood victim who had his three Carnegie businesses destroyed by the floodwaters, wanted to make sure the children got gifts this Christmas.

As a result, Villegas said more names may be added.

"If we have to go over 100 kids, we will," he said.

Though he's unsure of how many ornaments remain at the two banks, Villegas suggests getting them soon.

"You have to get them fast," he said. "People are already starting to get word of (the program)."

Villegas said the club might continue the campaign in the future for other groups in need.

"We're trusting that it's something we can continue on a year-in, year-out basis," he said.