ABATE donates cash and gifts to Community Action in annual toy run
Provided photos: Community Acton of Orleans and Genesee was presented with donations of cash and toys from ABATE as a result of their annual toy run. Holding some of the donations are, from left, CAOG’s facility manager Ricky Standish, Eastern Orleans Community Center coordinator Deborah Rothmund, director of community services Katrina Chaffee and Head Start’s janitor/maintenance man in Batavia, Marc Malaniak.
MEDINA – A toy run to benefit Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is an annual event for the Orleans County Chapter of ABATE.
This year’s run took place Sept. 17 and kicks off the holiday season for Community Action, according to Katrina Chaffee, director of community services.
Chuck Persons, president of the local chapter of ABATE, said they have been hosting this run for 40 years.
Lineup is always at Ridgeway Fire Hall and travels around Orleans County, and back to the VFW in Medina, where chapter members prepare lunch for the riders. Community Action always provides dessert as a “thank you.”
The toys and cash donations will be used by Community Action to help the hundreds of families who apply for assistance at holiday time. This includes toys and gifts for each child in a family and a box containing all the food necessary for Christmas dinner.
This year’s run resulted in a donation of $661 in cash and $100 worth of toys.
The toys and cash donations will be used by Community Action to help the hundreds of families who apply for assistance at holiday time. This includes toys and gifts for each child in a family and a box containing all the food necessary for Christmas dinner.
(Left) Chuck Persons, president of the Orleans Chapter of ABATE, poses with Katrina Chaffee, director of community service at Community Action, after the annual toy run. (Right) ABATE member Al Schumacher rode his bike as Santa Claus.