Published: 12/9/2019 1:00:43 AM
BERNARDSTON — It’s not just Santa Claus’ sack that carries toys that will end up under the Christmas tree.
Two police cruisers wasn’t enough space to pack the donations at Saturday’s toy drive — stuffed animals, balls and games — and the gifts ended up spilling over into a fire truck.
The town’s annual Christmas toy drive, held at the United Church of Bernardston, has been going on for about a decade. The event is organized by the town’s Police and Fire departments, as well as the Oak Ridge Detachment Marine Corps league and Bernardston Kiwanis Club.
Each year, the Kiwanis Club throws a free pancake breakfast and invites Santa Claus and the town’s families and children and anyone else who wants to come. Police officers and firefighters collect new, unopened toys and see how many cruisers they can fill with the donated gifts.
“It gets bigger every year,” said Russell Deane with the Bernardston Kiwanis Club. “It’s a great time, everyone’s smiling and everything is free.”
The toy drive benefits Franklin County families through Toys for Tots. Toys for ages up to 17 are collected, from stuffed animals, to Frisbees and board games.
Bernardston Fire Chief Peter Shedd said he didn’t have an exact count on the number of toys that came in, but the event was a success.
“We just want to bring that little bit of togetherness,” Shedd said.
And members of the Kiwanis Club were happy to provide a free breakfast inside and out of the cold.
“We gave away a lot of pancakes, too,” Deane said with a laugh. “And there are tons of toys.”
Although the event has generally grown, Deane said the turnout is often dependent on the weather. Despite fresh snow and cold temperatures, the event was packed with smiling families, which Deane said was encouraging.
“People come back every year and they really appreciate it,” Deane said. “It’s just something nice to do.”
Despite the toy drive officially finishing, the Bernardston Police Department continues to accept toys at the station. Cash donations are also accepted. Anyone wishing to donate can contact the Police Department at 413-648-9208.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.
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