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Toys for Tots, Angel Tree prepare for 2021 holiday season

Fri, 10/01/2021 - 4:42 pm
news@grahamleader.com

Young County Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots is gearing up to begin its 2021 campaign to bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to Young County’s less fortunate children. Campaign Coordinator Dave Reid spoke to the Graham Noon Lion’s Club and announced the program will partner with the club’s Angel Tree Project.

Reid said his goal for Toys for Tots is to collect toy donations which are able to be distributed to charitable programs across Graham and Young County. Monetary donations to Angel Tree now will be able to better help with coats and other clothing items that are typically handed out as part of the Angel Tree Project. The Angel Tree Project is an annual Graham Noon Lions Club project where members, with the help of teachers and counselors, provide Christmas gifts for underprivileged children in Graham.

“(Former coordinator Bernie O’Dell) made great friends with some and significant enemies out of others,” Reid said. “He had (...) almost a contest, if you will, between Angel Tree and Toys for Tots. He felt like there was a competition. When I got (Angel Tree co-chair) Tiffany (Fade) on the phone, it took us about 35 seconds to determine we were servicing the same children. There’s no need for competition between us because we are servicing the exact same children, so let’s do it together.”

Last year, due to the pandemic and average age of volunteers, Reid enlisted the help of Graham High School athletes and the Graham Police Department to help with the sorting of toys before distribution. According to its official website, graham-tx.toysfortots.org, 3,401 toys were distributed to 857 children.

For the rest of the story, see the Oct. 2 edition of The Graham Leader.