CHARLOTTE, NC (Mark Price/The Charlotte Observer)—Leave it to a bunch of Boy Scouts to turn holiday cheer into a competition.

It happened Monday when Troop 118 showed up to organize the Salvation Army’s Christmas Center on East Arrowood Drive, in preparation for a charity event that will give away toys to nearly 12,000 needy kids.

The Scouts, who are based out of St. Stephen United Methodist Church, played their part by folding, sorting, stacking and stuffing every imaginable holiday fixture and frill.

But it was the task of writing “mushy” messages in Christmas cards for senior citizens that had the boys challenging one another to see who could be the most heartwarming. The seniors will receive gifts and cards from the Salvation Army’s Silver Bells program. Read more

(By Mark Price, The Charlotte Observer. The Boy Scouts of America Communications Department was not involved in the creation of this content.)