THUNDER BAY -- Without Toys for Tots Christmas would be a lot less joyful for hundreds of local children.
On Wednesday firefighters kicked off the annual campaign at Intercity Shopping Centre, a toy drive that in 2011 collected $150,000 in donations, which were used to buy age-appropriate gifts for children 16 and under in need.
Toys for Tots chairman Bob Vander Ploeg said the campaign has become a tradition in the city, something firefighters don’t question getting involved with each year.
“The new guys know when they start on this job that that’s an expectation that’s held and it’s fun to do. It’s fun to stand here and meet people. People, when they come to make a donation, generally have a story to tell and it’s fun to hear that,” Vander Ploeg said.
“Sometimes people come who have been recipients of Toys for Tots or Christmas Cheer in the past. I’ve had a few moving moments speaking to those people. There are people who get a great deal of joy by giving to Toys for Tots, and that’s a big part of it for me personally.”
Times are tough, he acknowledged, especially this year when on top of all the usual charities, residents are being asked to donate to the Thunder Bay and Area Disaster Relief Fund, a $5-million ask that is well short of its goal.
Vander Ploeg said he doesn’t think there will be a direct effect on Toys for Tots, but neither is he taking anything for granted.
“We recognize there is a lot of pressure on local generosity. Having said that, we’ve been through this in the past. Toys for Tots has been around for decades, going back to the 1950s, and we’re confident that people’s Christmas generosity will be what it has been in the past,” he said.
“And we’re also confident that people will find a way to support the disaster relief fund and the other good work that’s being done at Christmastime.”
Toys for Tots partners with Christmas Cheer each holiday season, and past chairwoman Jolene Kemp said the two groups have plenty of synergy.
Christmas Cheer collects food and donations to fill hampers for families in need, delivering the presents paid for through the Toys for Tots campaign.
She said each side helps the other.
“The public begins to think about the children and the families that go with those children and we feed off the energy that these firefighters have because they’re all donating their time,” she said.
Buying the toys is half the fun, she added.
“We have a fantastic toy buyer who does the best shopping possible, chooses gifts that are age appropriate, that will allow the children to be able to have something that’s brand new and that’s fun and current and that they can be the same as everybody else that’s in their peer group.”
The Toys for Tots display is located adjacent to the food court at Intercity Shopping Centre.
