A record 555 individuals in 202 households received boxes filled with presents and the fixings for a Christmas dinner (and leftovers) through the annual Elks Christmas Basket Program for the 2008 holiday.

The decorated boxes were delivered Tuesday, Dec. 23, by a bevy of volunteers that gathered at the Enterprise Elks Lodge.

“We had a lot of last minute people sign up, who’ve just recently lost their jobs,” said head elf Barbara Harvey. Harvey is in charge of compiling the list of recipients and making sure everyone has gifts through the Tree of Giving, which was started by her late mother, Lois Harvey.

She said proudly that this year the fourth generation in her family volunteered as “Harvey Elves.”

In the meantime, basket program co-chairs Chuck Haines and John Neal were supervising the distribution of the boxes, aided immensely by last minute food donations.

“I think it snuck up on everyone this year, but we ended up with enough,” said Haines.