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Summerland firefighters prepare for annual toy drive

Campaign has been supported for many years by businesses and donations from community
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Although it’s only November, it’s never too early to help others in the community to have a memorable holiday season.

The Summerland Fire Department will soon be kicking off their 30th annual Toys and Toonies for Tots and Teens campaign.

This is a fundraiser and toy drive that happens during the weeks leading up to Christmas, beginning on the week between Remembrance Day and the Festival of Lights. Toys and money will be collected until mid December, when they will then be brought to the food bank where Christmas hampers are created and gifts distributed.

This campaign has been supported for many years by businesses in the community and the donations from around town.

CIBC has provided a space for toys that are collected year to year, creating a sturdy foundation for each year’s donations.

The donations go to help people of all walks of life, from young kids to young adults; the food bank and the fire department do their best to make sure each family is catered to.

Last year, 60 families were able to gain from the contributions of the community. More than $100 in Canadian Tire money was also donated, which is not an easy number to achieve.

There will be a few key events included in this annual campaign, the first being at the Festival of Lights. The two events have coincided and grown together from the first years. Firefighters will have a truck to take in donations outside of CIBC and will be “shaking the boot” to collect funds.

The second event will take place next morning. The firefighters will host a hearty breakfast as their biggest campaign piece of Toys and Toonies.

This will happen thanks to the help of Santorini’s which provides the food and lets the Fire Department take over the entire restaurant for the morning. The firefighters will also be delivering plates of food to people in the community who have to work that morning, but still want to show their support.

Each year the elementary schools in town also assist in raising the contributions with their own boxes for gifts brought in by students.

Throughout all this, donations of toys, money, and Canadian Tire money will be collected, and if you wish to give something, there will be canisters at a variety of businesses, or you can drop things off at the fire hall or CIBC.

Toys must be new and unwrapped to be accepted.

The need for donations is constant each year, so the organizers would like to thank the public for their continued support in making this a successful event.