BRISTOL -- The head of Santa Pal, an annual Christmas program for needy children, was charged yesterday with embezzling more than $75,000 from the charity, authorities said.

Warrants were issued Monday for Jimmie Clark, 33, of Watauga, Tenn. As of yesterday, he had not been arrested but was being sought by Bristol police and authorities in Carter County, Tenn.

Clark was Santa Pal's volunteer executive director for more than five years. In a letter to the charity's board of directors last week, he admitted to taking money from the organization since 2003 to settle personal debts.

"I know that I have deceived you all for sometime now and I do ask for your forgiveness," Clark wrote. "I have notified my wife, my parents and my in-laws of this matter and have asked for their forgiveness also."

Clark said in a telephone interview Monday that he confessed to police.

The Santa Pal program was created in 1927 by Woody Vance, then managing editor of the Bristol Herald Courier. Its mission is to provide gifts and food for children who might not otherwise have a Christmas.

The Herald Courier stopped overseeing Santa Pal in 1998 but continues to have close ties to the program, including a seat on the board held by Managing Editor J. Todd Foster, who attended his first board meeting last week. The board's president is Amy Christian, who is assistant to the newspaper's publisher.

Christian said in a statement, "On behalf of the board of directors, we are extremely disappointed, hurt and saddened by the choices Mr. Clark made. Despite the recent discovery, we remain committed to our mission: to enrich and make a difference in the lives of less-fortunate local children by offering a variety of family-oriented programs and community support that builds a positive self-image and sense of belonging."

Clark's five-paragraph typed letter came shortly after Santa Pal's board questioned discrepancies in the charity's financial records and began tracking bank transactions.

"For the past two years, I have not been able to sleep at night and have contemplated committing suicide on numerous occasions," Clark wrote. "I truly do love this program and cannot believe that it has come to this. I am sorry for what I have done and will accept any consequence that comes with my actions ranging from incarceration to a lifetime of community service."

Michael Owens is a staff writer at the Bristol Herald Courier.