Georgetown Rings in Holidays with Caroling on the Circle/Pack the Pod Food Drive
Sussex County elected dignitaries lead the crowds in singing holiday favorites during the 42nd annual Caroling on The Circle / Image courtesy Sussex County Government
Sussex County Register of Wills Greg Fuller, Lori Lee and Sussex County Sheriff Robert Lee, sings during the 42nd annual Caroling on The Circle in Georgetown on Dec. 4, 2025 / Image courtesy Sussex County Government
Georgetown heralded in the holidays Thursday night with the 42nd annual Caroling on the Circle – which also helps those in need with donations of canned and non-perishable food items. Hundreds turned out for the Caroling on the Circle, tree lighting and the Georgetown Christmas Parade. County officials say that so far over 20,500 food items have been collected at the pod on The Circle in Georgetown. The “pack the pod” campaign will continue through the end of December – so please continue to drop off donations at the County Administration Building or monetary donations at the Food Bank of Delaware website.
Additional information from the Sussex County Government:
Organizers at the end of evening announced that Caroling on The Circle so far has collected 20,539, canned goods and other non-perishable items for local pantries, which will feed needy families in the community during the colder winter months ahead. The campaign continues through the end of December.
Each year, Caroling on The Circle kicks off the holiday season for Sussex County, while serving as a community food drive to benefit local food banks. Started in 1984 as part of the Delaware First initiative, Caroling on The Circle continues to help those in need a generation later. To date, the community has donated more than 840,000 food items through the Caroling on The Circle program throughout the course of its 42-year history.
“Every day, but especially during the holiday season, I am awestruck by the selflessness and generosity of Sussex Countians, who always seem to find that extra dollar in their pockets and that unending spirit of giving in their hearts,” County Administrator Todd F. Lawson said. “It is because of their efforts that we are able to continue the Caroling on The Circle tradition year after year, putting food on the table for the less fortunate and spreading cheer in our community.”
As part of the Caroling event, Sussex County once again called on the public to ‘Pack the Pod’ by setting up a 14-foot-by-7-foot storage trailer on The Circle. The unit served as a focal point for Caroling and to heighten awareness about the food drive. Again this year, the County partnered with the Food Bank of Delaware to help with online donations, as well as collection and distribution of items to local pantries.
This year’s Caroling event, along with collections from Sussex County Council, County employees, numerous schools, groups and businesses leading up to the event, helped this year’s preliminary total to cross the 20,000 threshold. With several weeks still left in the drive, the County hopes to take the final total even higher by the New Year.
In 2024, the campaign collected nearly 20,000 items for local pantries.
For this year’s efforts, the public can continue to drop off canned goods and non-perishable food items between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the County Administrative Offices building on The Circle in Georgetown. The Caroling on The Circle/Pack the Pod food drive will continue until Dec. 31.