North Adams Groups Holding Toy & Clothing Drive Staff Reports,
06:21PM / Monday, December 05, 2016 | |
 Emergency responders are teaming up with Rotary, YMCA and Walmart for holiday toy and clothing drive. Last year's event collected 1,000 donations. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city's emergency responders are teaming up with the Northern Berkshire Family YMCA and North Adams Rotary to conduct a Holiday Toy and Clothing Drive this Thursday, Dec. 8, from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Walmart on Curran Highway.
Members of the North Adams Ambulance Service and the Fire and Police departments will be on hand with their vehicles to collect the donations, along with Mayor Richard Alcombright. All donations received will be used to aid local families this holiday season.
Last year's drive collected some 1,000 pieces for the statewide Toys for Tots, said organizer MaryAnn King of the Police Department. This year, she said, the goal was to make sure all the toys were distributed locally.
"We want to stay locally here," she said. "Our officers, they see a lot of families that don't have anything ... I asked the Rotary if they were interested in participating and they hooked up with the Y. ...
"It's the young kids who believe in Santa who'll be upset if there's nothing under tree."
The Rotary and YMCA will host a party for invited families on Sunday, Dec. 11, at the YMCA with pizza, crafts, entertainment and possibly a confetti dunking booth. The donated gifts will be distributed by age and gender.
Thursday's event will include a police cruiser, fire truck and ambulance for the kids to check out, hot chocolate, coloring books, and giveaways as supplies last.
The drive is for new, unwrapped toys and clothing for children up to age 12. King said any new children's clothing will be accepted but the preference is for warm winter clothing — hats, coats, mittens, etc. Please, no toy weapons: swords, knives, guns, etc.
Donations can also be dropped off at any of the public safety locations.
"I've had a lot of good responses," King said, and pointed to firefighter Robert Patenaude and ambulance manager John Meaney Jr. for their help in organizing the event. "Everybody's really getting psyched about it."
The event is being sponsored by the local Walmart, the North Adams Rotary Club, the YMCA, North Adams Ambulance Service, North Adams Fire Department, North Adams Police Department, North Adams Public Schools, and the mayor's office.
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