By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Several Toys For Tots boxes were filled Saturday at a Stuff the Truck toy event outside Ollie’s Bargain Outlet on West State Street.
“We’re very happy with the amount of participation,” said Cattaraugus County Toys For Tots coordinator Kathy Young as she and volunteer Lisa Folts manned a table outside Ollie’s.
Paul Brown Dodge loaned Toys For Tots the use of a large van for the Stuff the Truck event, Young said. Many shoppers stopped at the van on the way to their cars to donate toys they had just purchased at Ollie’s.
Nearly 100 while Toys For Tots boxes are being distributed to businesses and offices across the county, according to Young. The Marine Corp Foundation sponsors the Toys For Tots program.
Among the fundraisers being planned is one today (Monday, Nov. 18) with Chipotle, 2727 W.State St., Olean, with Toys For Toys getting 25% of the value of online orders from 4-8 p.m. To order online use the code: CYBMPN9.
Young said Toys For Tots is using media press releases, online reminders and word of mouth to get the word out on this year’s Toys For Tots campaign.
Toys For Tots volunteers will be marching in the Santa Claus Lane Parade on Nov. 30. They won’t be taking donations during the parade for safety reasons, but it will serve as a reminder of the opportunity to help the children of families receive toys and books for Christmas through Toys For Tots.
The website for the Olean Toys For Tots program is https://olean-ny.toysfortots.org. From this site you can request to participate in receiving toys for children, donate to the local effort and volunteer.
For monetary donations by check, mail to Toys For Tots, Box 4,. Allegany, NY 14706. For online donations, go to:
Donors are asked to provide new, unwrapped toys for more than 1,200 children in Cattaraugus County, southern Allegany County and northern McKean County in Pennsylvania. This year, that number is likely to be higher.
The Toys For Tots boxes have QR codes on them for more information including how to apply for toys, to make donations online or to volunteer.
The last day to donate toys at the Toys For Tots boxes is Dec. 7. Applications for the tots program close on Dec. 6.
Distribution of Toys For Tots gifts — which always include books — is set for Dec. 15 in the Multipurpose Room at the DePerro School of Health Professions at St. Bonaventure University.
