The Rotary Club of Covington delivered presents to around 500 Newton County children Saturday as part of its annual Empty Stocking event.

Empty Stocking is the club’s biggest annual event and one of the area’s longest running local charities.

For more than 50 years the club has been delivering presents to children in need during the Christmas season. This year the club delivered bicycles, along with toys such as dolls, Tonka trucks and footballs, provided by Walmart. Families also received boxes of cereal provided by General Mills and popcorn.

Club members, along with friends and family, spent the morning packing out a bag for delivery from stations set up with toys appropriate for age groups, ranging from infants up to early teens. After each bag was packed, the volunteers spread out throughout Newton County and delivered the packages to waiting families.

The club hosts its annual Vidalia Onion Sale, Cars of the Past Car Show and Sportsman Raffle each year to provide presents for Newton County children in need each Christmas.