Generosity reigns in one-day toy drive
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A one-day toy drive on Saturday during Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas celebration filled 12 bags with toys and also netted $1,001 to buy toys and food for families.
The toys were collected Saturday at Canalside Tattoo in on Main Street in Medina. The toys will go to the Medina Area Association of Churches for its Christmas Box Program and also to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. People were welcome to drop off toys. For every toy donated or for every $5, people would get a chance to win one of 20 packages donated by local businesses.
Pictured, from left, include: Sherry Tuohey, coordinator of Christmas Box Program for MAAC; Annette Finch, Community Services director for Community Action; Michelle Figueroa, case manager for Community Action; Ronnie Barite, president of board of directors for Community Action; Andrew Szatkowski, toy drive chairman; and Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo.
Andrew Szatkowski, the toy drive organizer, said this year’s drive passed the inaugural drive last year. He estimated there were about 10 percent more toys and an additional $200 donated.
The MAAC distributes toys to about 150 children and their families in the Medina area. The toys from the one-day drive will supplement the toys given in the 30 red barrels that are set up at Medina locations.
Community Action is collecting toys and food for 350 children in their families in Albion, Holley, Kendall and Lyndonville.
“It’s a tremendous help,” Annette Finch, Community Services director for Community Action, said at the toy drive in Medina.
Community Action welcomes more help with its Christmas effort for the 350 children and their families. For more information, call Finch or Michelle Figueroa at (585) 589-5605.
