Parents and children from throughout East Mississippi gathered at the old Office Max building in Meridian on Monday for The Salvation Army Angel Tree’s annual distribution.

Each year, families in need can register for the Angel Tree program, in which residents can buy gifts for a child or senior, called angels, who may not otherwise receive a gift on Christmas Day. Those gifts are then distributed to the angels by The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army Commanding Officer Lt. Roy Fisher said this year’s Angel Tree Program helped provide Christmas gifts to 603 children and seniors throughout east Mississippi. In total, he said, 297 families were served.

Although not every angel on the angel trees was adopted this year, Fisher said a number of toy drives held by local businesses, schools and organizations provided additional toys to make sure every angel has a gift to open on Christmas.