By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
tribune managing editor
KEYSER — Thanks to the hard work of the Toys for Joy team and the generosity of the area, 720 children will have a merrier Christmas this year.
Chairman Jim Shumaker expressed his gratitude this week for the generosity of the many people – both donors and volunteers – who gave of themselves so that Toys for Joy might provide new toys for area children who otherwise might not have had a Christmas.
The success of the program was especially noteworthy with the uncertainty of what lies ahead for many area residents.
“We had just as much, or more, given to us this year,” Shumaker said. “With the economy the way it is, that’s just great.”
The campaign spent approximately $16,450, and will have approximately $7,000 in seed money to kick off the 2009 campaign.
Shumaker noted that, while the number of kids they were able to help was “up a little, but not a lot” from previous years, the cost of toys is definitely higher and the campaign planners therefore had to work harder to raise additional funds, as well as making their dollars stretch as far as possible.
“We try to spend right around $20 per child,” he said.
Shumaker also praised all the fire departments and organizations that helped sort and distribute the toys.
Members of the Elk Garden, New Creek, Fountain, and Burlington fire departments, as well as the Westernport American Legion, pick up toys and distribute them at their respective fire halls, while the toys for the Keyser area are distributed from the Grand Central Business Center.
“We always give out the toys in Keyser after the fire departments, and that way, if anyone’s missed, they can come to Keyser,” he explained.
He issues an extra special thank-you to the owners and management of Grand Central, who have traditionally provided the space to store, sort and distribute the toys free-of-charge.
“I don’t know where we’d be without them,” he said, noting that the toys are kept in the former cafeteria at the old high school. “Where else would we find a room that size?”
Shumaker also points out that the last scheduled toy distribution date is often not really the last. There are always those who, due to unforeseen circumstances, might need help at the last minute and the Toys for Joy volunteers strive to be there for them.
“Probably right up until Christmas, we‘ll be giving out toys,” Shumaker said.
“Last year, for example, a family’s car caught on fire and burned up the toys inside. We were giving them toys on Christmas Eve.”
The chairman is also especially grateful to all those entities that sponsor fund raisers for the campaign.
see you page 2A
“One of our biggest contributors is bingo and the Keyser Fire Hall,” he said. “They take one game every week and save the money all through the year for us.”
He hopes to get even more people involved in next year’s campaign, however. As a means toward that goal, an organizational meeting has been scheduled for Jan. 21, at 5:30 p.m.,, at the Coldwell Banker office.
“Anyone in the area that would like to get involved is urged to attend,” he said.
