Two neighbors - one a corporation, the other a children's service organization - came together in the spirit of Christmas last week.

The corporation was Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in its annual community project which supports the Children's Home of Cincinnati, Madisonville.

Last year, children from the home sang Christmas carols to the Coca-Cola employees while the Olympic torch ran by.

This year, Operations Manager Lisa Brown decorated the front of the company's building at 5100 Duck Creek Road.

The decorations included a 6-foot illuminated polar bear with a Santa hat, and a 5-foot candy canes with holiday lights.

That decoration served as a background to 30 children from the home singing Christmas carols.

"They started singing in front of the building after meeting Santa Claus," said Joe Trauth, community relations manger for the company. "Then they sang in different departments and had lunch with us. We had about eight boxes of gifts wrapped for the kids."

He said that for four weeks, employees brought toys for the project.

Last year, the company collected 140 toys, up from 80 in 2000.

"This is our third year with this project, and each year it gets bigger," Mr. Trauth said.

He said the company's mission statement is: "Be an active responsible corporate citizen, utilize resources to make communities a better place to live, invest in youth development and education and make a difference through community support."

The Children's Home of Cincinnati provides individualized services to children needing adoption, families with children up to age 5, disadvantaged children and their families, children with special education needs, and children with mental illness.

A fund-raiser and a banquet will be held Saturdayfor the Stridettes Drill Team, a 33-year-old nonprofit organization of girls from the Cincinnati Public Schools and the Hamilton County School District.

The banquet will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the fund-raiser will be from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Events will take place at the Holiday Inn Queensgate, 800 W. Eighth St.

It is sponsored by the Cincinnati Backing Local Artist Dreams (BLAD) talent agency for kids.

The Stridettes have performed at community parades, festivals, dedication ceremonies, football games at high schools and colleges, at Cinergy Field, and at the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis and a football classic in Chicago.

The team was started in 1968, by Rudolph Pickens, a former Army drill sergeant, to prevent drug use and pregnancy among teen girls in the West End.

For more information, call 614-3511.

Artwork of 100 student artists is on display at KnowledgeWorks' offices, 700 Walnut St., Suite 600, downtown.

The display includes sculptures, scenic paintings, collages, pet portraits and still-life paintings. For information, call 929-1132.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News" column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.