Thunder Bay firefighters outdid themselves once again.
On Friday they revealed they’d raised more than $160,000 in support of Toys for Tots, more than $10,000 than they raised during last year’s Christmastime campaign.
Toys for Tots chairman Paul Penna said the generosity of Thunder Bay residents was overwhelming, the total capped by a final-day tally of more than $5,000 at their Intercity Shopping Centre food-court headquarters.
He said he was relieved and happy.
“It’s always a lot of work and I always feel a little bit of stress when we get going. Even a week ago I was wondering if we were going to make it to where we were last year. You don’t know,” Penna said.
“Thunder Bay came on really strong at the end again.”
It’s all about the children, he said.
“I think it just comes down to the humanity factor again, and Christmas,” Penna said. “Most people believe that Christmas is a special time of year. It’s family time where children really, they deserve to have a nice gift under the tree. It’s that simple.”
Toys for Tots will turn the money over to the Christmas Cheer Fund, which in turn will use it to purchase toys for children in need at Christmas next year.
Christmas Cheer chairwoman Joleene Kemp said seeing the total means one thing.
“It just says children are going to be happy next Christmas. It is absolutely amazing, amazing, amazing, the generosity of people,” Kemp said.
“It’s about children and it’s for children. Children are our future and I firmly believe if we do right by our children, society will be much better off.”
Penna said they couldn’t have hit the $160,000 mark without the help of one special sponsor, the local Tim Hortons franchise owners, whose Smile Cookie campaign raised $47,880 toward their target.
“That’s almost a third of what we bring in. That’s the push over the top,” Penna said
