GIVING BACK TO OTHERS – Just steps away from all the Madison Street Festival excitement on Saturday, two young girls were taking advantage of the increased traffic in front of their home on Maple Drive to give back to others. Amelia and Lillian Merrill, ages 8 and 6, greeted people who walked pass their driveway on the way to and from the festival. Sitting behind a table filled with homemade key chains, magnets and hair-ties, they sold them to raise money for a special cause. Some of the magnets and key chains featured such fun themes such as Pokémon and Minecraft. Their profits will go towards filling up shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child next month. The annual shoebox drive is a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, who delivers the gift-filled boxes to millions of children. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 168 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories. This is the third year the Merrill girls have raised money to help others through this project. They said they hoped to raise $100 through selling their creations to fill three boxes. At the end of the day, they had earned $128 and will fill 3 to 4 shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items and school supplies. RECORD PHOTO/JOHN FEW