A week or so ago Bill Kirk of the Eagle-Tribune told Merrimack Valley residents in need in the communities of Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill, the the Globe Santa Fund had stricken them from the annual “gift” list. This ruling would have affected over 30,000 families in need. See our post here.

Kirk tells us in today’s Eagle-Tribune that the decision has been reversed.

Citing a shortfall in donations and an increase in need, Powers (Bob Powers, Globe vice president of marketing and communications) said last month that the Globe couldn’t afford to buy presents for those Merrimack Valley families.

But on Thursday, Powers said in an e-mail to The Eagle-Tribune that “we are able to restore the Globe Santa program in Lowell. Lawrence and Haverhill.”

He said the initial decision to cut gifts to Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill an “extremely difficult decision for us to make, and understandably since our announcement we have received many heartfelt requests to reconsider.”

A letter will be sent out shortly to eligible families from the Department of Transitional Assistance, informing them of the decision to restore Globe Santa, Powers said.

“We are excited to report that despite the shortage of funding from donations, The Boston Globe will restore the Globe Santa program to the best of our abilities in the Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill area,” the letter says. “However, if you would like to apply for Globe Santa gifts, time is of the essence. … Requests for Globe Santa received after December 15 cannot be fulfilled. … We hope that the restoration of Globe Santa in your area can help make your holidays brighter.”

My guess is that longtime Globe Santa Fund supporters in the Merrimack Valley mounted a protest over the decision to by-pass these three cities. The reader consensus must have made “checking it twice” a better option -the Globe “marketing” VP knew the reversal had to be made. Good marketing politics prevailed for the good of thousands of Valley families.

Read the full article here in the Eagle-Tribune. Note is also taken by the Lowell SUN in today’s edition.