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Last updated on Thursday, December 8, 2011
(HELTONVILLE) - Dolly and Harold Deckard of Heltonville, were named Indiana’s recipients of the Jefferson Award for Public Service.
The state award is presented to ordinary people who do extraordinary things without expectation of recognition.
The couple has played Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and given gifts to hundreds of children. The couple were nominated for the award by their daughter, Melanie Deckard. She found the award on WRTV-Channel 6 website one day and noticed the Jefferson Awards. She thought who better to nominated then her parents.
Dolly and Harold are best known for their Rusty's Toy Chest. It's named after their son, who was born with Prader-Willi syndrome and a variety of other ailments. He died at age 46. Two years ago, Rusty's Toy Chest provided gifts for more than 200 children. Last year, more than 240 were on this list. And hundreds more will be served again this year. Some of them even get to meet Santa "on his own turf," as Dolly put it Tuesday, coming to the Deckards' home to greet Old Saint Nick. They also distributed 760 gifts to nursing homes this year.
WRTV plans to broadcast the segment during the 5 p.m. newscast today and during the morning news show Friday.
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