Lots of youngsters these days are caught up in video games, digital music and computers.

But kids will always have a fondness and a need for those low-tech recreational toys.

Footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, kickballs, volleyballs, rubber balls, baseballs, softballs, tennis balls and such still bring so much joy to kids and keep them healthier and active.

That’s why the Rome New-Tribune has once again organized the “Make a Child Smile” annual Christmas Ball Drive.

And we want area residents to know that donating a single ball to the program could make a world of difference for a child at the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Georgia.

The drive aims to provide a brand new ball for Christmas to every child who visits the Boys & Girls Club regularly.

Last year, we collected 300 balls, and we really want to collect even more this year. But with the drive wrapping up early next week, we’re still way short.

So far we’ve collected about 120 balls, and that came with a big boost from Armuchee High School that brought in a good load.

The Boys & Girls Clubs in Floyd and Polk counties serve more than 1,400 youngsters, according to the organization’s chief professional officer Carrie Edge.

On any given day, more than 350 kids come to the club for activities.

The project started with Rome News-Tribune Classified Manager Cecilia Crow, who saw a need and wanted to make a difference.

“Long story short, my personal passion is making a difference in children’s lives any way I can (in memory of my daughter I lost in 2002),” she said.

“Last year I was a part of the Latino Advisory Committee for the Boys & Girls Club and saw the need and thought this would be a great tradition to start at the Rome News-Tribune as the newspaper that I worked for in California did 10 years ago.

“Now the Rome News-Tribune along with the help from our readers and community are now in our second year of a holiday tradition of making a difference to benefit the children of the Boys & Girls Club of NWGA.”

And in challenging economic times, balls are still an affordable and durable gift that can bring hours and hours of joy and active fun for kids.

Last year’s drive was successful, and Crow and Edge hope this year’s will be even more so.

Edge said last year every child had something to take home at Christmas, which had not happened before.

And we’d really like to make sure every kid has something this year, and we hope our readers and community will help us collect enough balls to do just that.

The balls will be given to the children at the Floyd and Polk county clubs Tuesday afternoon. So we need them by noon Tuesday here at the Rome News-Tribune, 305 E. Sixth Ave.