40 red barrels put into Medina community to be filled with gifts
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Sherry Tuohey-Sipple, who heads the MAAC Christmas Barrel program, waits for Medina firefighters to arrive at the Grove United Methodist Church to deliver them on Wednesday morning. Forty barrels were distributed to local businesses, churches and organizations, waiting to be filled with donations of toys, hats, mittens, canned goods and gifts.
MEDINA – The first Wednesday of every November, Medina firefighters know they have a call to answer.
That is the day each year when they pick up the MAAC Christmas barrels and deliver them to stores, churches, and organizations in Medina. This year, 40 barrels were delivered, waiting to be filled with gifts, crafts, games, books, toys, hats, mittens and non-perishable food which MAAC will use to pack Christmas boxes for several hundred families.
Cash donations are also welcome, and are used to purchase items needed to insure every child gets a gift.
To be eligible to receive a gift box, families must live in the Medina School District with a zip code of 14103 or 14479.
Photo by Sherry Tuohey-Sipple: Bob Harrold of Lyndonville poses with the red wagons he refurbished and donated to the MAAC Christmas Present Program. Harrold has managed to find a handful of little red wagons every year for a number of years, which he donates to MAAC.
The Christmas Present Program serves children up to 18 years of age and their parents, according to Sherry Tuohey-Sipple, who has headed the give-away for seven years.
Families must sign up during the second and third weeks of November, either from 10 a.m. to noon or 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 12 and 19 at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1355 West Ave.; or from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 14 and 21 at The Vine (formerly Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God), 11031 Maple Ridge Rd.
The Red Barrels, which have come to be known as the Christmas Present Program, stem from Christmas toy drives the Medina firefighters started decades ago. After MAAC took it over, Sylvia Riviere of Medina ran it for seven years, before Tuohey-Sipple stepped up to run it.
Bob Harrold of Lyndonville has been contributing to the MAAC Christmas Present Program for many years, searching for and refurbishing little red wagons, which he donates to the program. He said this year it is getting harder and harder to find them.
He told Tuohey-Sipple he had been doing this for many years, at least 15, during which time he has donated more than 75 red wagons to be given to children of Medina during the Christmas season.
Throughout his lifetime, Harrold said he has collected and refurbished more than 300 red wagons, which he has given away.
“They are much harder to find today, but I continue to look for them in my travels,” he said.
Tuohey-Sipple said she has already been receiving requests for Christmas boxes, much earlier than in the past. She is concerned this may mean there is a greater need in the community this year.
Firefighters say they volunteer to help with the program because they want to help children and families in the community.
“That’s our personality, off duty as well as on duty,” said Lt. Steve Cooley, who showed up this morning with fellow firefighters Steve Miller and Nick Lee, all of whom had worked the night shift.
Fire Chief Matt Jackson said they support the giveaway program because it is important for their team to come together to support the MAAC effort for families.
The filled barrels will be picked by on Dec. 4, and on Dec. 14, Medina firefighters will be joined by volunteer firefighters from Ridgeway, Shelby and East Shelby to deliver the filled Christmas boxes.
Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson, center, jokingly hops in a red barrel before he and his crew start delivering them on Wednesday morning. From left are firefighter Nick Lee, his friend Rob Clute, firefighter Andrew Cheverie, Captain Jonathan Higgins, firefighters Adam Fisher and Steve Miller, and Lt. Steve Cooley.
