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Communities Rally For Tots Once Again
Published: Dec 29, 2006
Tampa Tribune - Pasco Section
On Dec. 16, more than 200 elves hosted 1,026 families in selecting toys, bikes, socks, underwear, toothbrushes and shoes for each of their 3,153 deserving children at five distribution sites (Dade City, Zephyrhills, Land O' Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Tri-Community).
Our 2006 Toys for Tots of East Pasco program had several important elements. We have a beneficial relationship with the Pasco County public school system and Premier Community Health Care. These counselors select and register families they consider needy. This helps ensure that we assist needy children living in each community. Other basic program elements include gathering, storing, sorting and distributing toys.
Since 1999, Pasco County has participated in a beneficial toy collection method, the U.S. Postal Service's Letter Carriers Toy Drive. In previous years, it provided a colossal amount of toys for our program. This year, the number of toys collected dropped significantly. The drive was a disappointment, and we scrambled to make up the shortfall.
Our friends in the print media came to the rescue and helped encourage residents to find our toy drop boxes throughout the county. Other people and organizations stepped up to assist us by collecting additional toys and other important items. Notably, Phillips & Jordan, Sunshine State Racking, Walking & Spotted Saddle Horse Association and Smokehouse Creek Rodeo held events that collected an enormous amount of toys for our program.
Additionally, Rotary, the Moose Lodge, South Fork RV Park, Masaryktown Community Center, Southern Charm RV Resort and Kiefer Village Jewels made notable contributions to this year's efforts. And Ron Miller and his Food for Tots program provided each family a huge box of food.
This year, firefighters, directed by captains Bartlett, Hicks and Lane, played a key role. They monitored our toy drop box locations and helped collect toys when boxes overflowed. Additionally, they assisted us by moving toys to storage areas and distribution sites. R.E. Garrison and Heyl trucking provided trucks for us to store our ever-growing cache of toys.
When the time came to sort and distribute, valuable community assistance became important. This was made possible by Pasco sheriff's deputies; Boy and Girl Scouts of America; Zephyrhills Police Explorers; the Interact Club of Land O' Lakes High School; teachers, staff and students of Wesley Chapel Elementary School; Wesley Chapel High School cheerleaders; Metro Storage; faculty, staff and students of Pasco-Hernando Community College, East Campus; Trilby Community Center; and the congregations of New Life Assembly, Trilby United Methodist and East Pasco Seventh-Day Adventist churches.
Thanks to all our distribution hosts: Pasco County Parks and Recreation, Land O' Lakes; Wesley Chapel Elementary; Zephyrhills; PHCC; and New Life Assembly in Trilacoochee.
With many people to recognize, I may have failed to mention other involved folks and businesses. For any omission, I sincerely apologize. This includes thousands of toy donors, hundreds of volunteers and our faithful print media that allowed us to project our program goals and needs to the community.
Lastly, to my brother Marines of the Zephyrhills Marine League Detachment No. 1124 and to our distribution site captains: Jessica White and Sylvia Salazar, Dade City; Tom Graef and Ken Keith, Zephyrhills; Mary Anderson and Laura Quintana, Land O' Lakes; Anna Fulk and Sue Hilton, Wesley Chapel; and pastor Dave Raley, Tri-Community. Their efforts enabled us to assist additional deserving families the week before Christmas.
Our mission is clear: Let no tot be sad on Christmas Day.
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