Christmas morning should be a magical time for children, but what if mom or dad have been incarcerated, and waking up to find toys under the tree turns out to be more of a myth as opposed to a reality?

Thankfully, for the children in Warren County, a group of volunteers come together annually to assure Christmas arrives for these children, and this year the 19th annual Jammin’ For The Kids fundraiser is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at Roca Restaurant & Bar, 127 Country Club Drive.

The fundraiser got its start when a group of musicians banded together at a club on Washington Street to perform and raise dollars for the needy children of Warren County, organizer Mike Thumb said.

“It started at Nik Nar 18 years ago and was a little acoustic thing,” he said.

However, since its inception, the fundraiser has grown due in part to the incredible generosity of volunteers while also becoming a social event for friends to come together and share the true meaning of Christmas, Thumb said.

There are a lot of people that we call our extended family of angels that work on Jammin’ for the Kids — from my wife Barbara who “gets the ball rolling each year” to Stacey Hartley who does all the shopping, wrapping and delivering, Thumb said.

“Stacey and Martin Pace are like Santa’s elves, they go shopping for the toys, and make sure they are all wrapped and delivered,” he said.

Jammin’ For The Kids raised more than $5,000 last year, Hartley said, with more than 300 local children between the ages of newborn and 17 receiving Christmas presents.

Thumb said all of the money raised go directly to the children.

“No one is paid to do anything,” he said.

“The banquet room is donated and some of the bands even cancel paying jobs, so they can come and participate. Our payment is the feeling in our hearts,” Thumb said.

Jammin’ For The Kids is a Beyond the Wall ministry, which is affiliated with the Warren County Chaplain’s office.

This year’s event will feature performances by local musicians, an auction and a raffle.

Musicians to perform include John Howard Dennis & Friends, Mike & Marty & Co., Lee H. Abraham & the Boone Brothers and Dagnabbit.

Admission is $5 or a new toy.

For more information, call 601-638-0800.