FLEMINGTON - Take a bag with you to the annual Hi-Neighbor Christmas Parade on Saturday - not to hold your candy in, though. Volunteers in the line of march will collect your bagged gifts for the Clinton County Women's Center.

This year the Flemington Hi-Neighbor Committee wants to reach out to people in need through the center which provides safety and advocacy for men, women and children who are victims of domestic violence or abuse.

Committee members will walk in the parade alongside Smokey the Bear's truck and collect the donations as they go. Paper products, canned goods, toothpaste, shampoo and other hygiene items are all appreciated.

Placing your gift in a bag will make the hand-off easier, the volunteers suggest.

"We've collected canned goods before for a local food pantry," volunteer Sheila Weaver said. "We decided this year to collect for the women's center ... next year it might be for somebody else."

The parade has been a holiday staple of the region for the past seven years or more, Weaver said, and the line of march has steadily grown with more and more organizations signing up every year.

The Hi-Neighbor Committee gives a total of $600 in cash prizes to participants: First-place prizes of $75, second-place prizes of $50 and third-place prizes of $25 in the categories of groups, floats, fire trucks and antique vehicles.

The line-up will start at 2 p.m. at Allison and West Fourth streets, across from Burger King Restaurant.

The march will step off at 3 p.m. and move down High Street to Goodwill Hose House where awards will be given, cookies and punch made available and treats distributed. Kids also will have the chance to visit with Santa.

To reserve a spot in the line of march, call Sue at 748-9480.

Walking alongside her fellow volunteers will be Sara Rachau whose senior project basically is doing anything and everything the Hi-Neighbor Committee needs her to do.

She posed as the Easter Bunny at the Easter egg hunt earlier this year and has sold raffle tickets, made signs, attended meetings and generally lent an energetic hand wherever needed.

In the parade, Sara will not only collect contributions but also hand out little gifts from Smokey the Bear.