In an attempt to make sure every child in Selma has something to open under the Christmas tree on Dec. 25, the Salvation Army is hosting a radio-thon today, beginning at 6 a.m. at the Selma-Dallas County Public Library.

Fuzion 100.1 and WHBB 1490 will be broadcasting adoptions for the angels of the Salvation Army Angel Tree.

Maj. Steve Welch, of the Salvation Army, who has been conducting interviews to make sure families qualify for the assistance, said it’s vital that all the angels on the tree are sponsored.

“We have 520 angels that need sponsors,” Welch said. “The purpose of the radio-thon is to get as many angels sponsored as possible in one day.”

Welch also said through the interview process, he has made sure all angels are the ones who are in most need.

“The people who apply for assistance with us at Christmas time are the ones who really need it,” he said. “We check as much as we’re able to, income expenses and things like that. I know for a fact that these are some of the poorest people in our community, so we need to help them out.”

For those who want to support an Angel but do not want to go shopping, the Salvation Army will accept a $50 donation per Angel. That money will be applied to any unadopted Angel and the Salvation Army will go shopping for the gifts.

Many families depend on Angel Tree to make sure their children have a happy Christmas, Welch said, and because last year’s radio-thon was such a success he knew they needed to do it again this year.

“We’re hoping to get all our angels adopted out,” he said. “It’s a blitz.”

Residents can still sponsor an angel after the radio-thon by calling the Salvation Army at 872-1646 or visiting their office located at 2104 Franklin St.