Christmas Report – 2007

Toys for Tots of East Pasco
By Bob Loring

Dear Santa, allow me to take a few moments of your valuable time to report on our exciting work here in East Pasco. Our Christmas 2007 toy distribution came to pass with ‘sleigh bells ringing and all the people singing.’ And, I wish to report that we were able to serve all our pre-registered families and provided abundant toys for their precious children. Santa, last Saturday, our ever-cheerful volunteer elves assisted 828 families; they received toys and other essential items for 3139 Tots. I’d rate it as a, “near perfect,” toy distribution for all five of our East Pasco communities: Dade City, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and the Trill-Lacoochee communities. I’m confident that you would have been most pleased to see how all the East Pasco community comes together to provide assistance to our children in need.

As usual, our Christmas miracle starts with careful planning. This year, with five seasoned area captains, Sylvia Salazar, Tom Graef, Mary Anderson, Anna Fulk and Pastor Dave Raley, we started with great confidence in our plan of action. Again this holiday season the post office ‘letter carriers toy drive’ brought us an abundant amount of dolls, trucks and other exciting toys, all donated by our caring neighbors and friends.

Many businesses and organizations, once again, allowed us to place toy drop boxes in their establishments. The off-duty firefighters assisted us by placing and maintaining these important toy collection drop box sites. We stored our collection in space donated by Metro Storage and moved our collected toys in trucks provided by our friends, Heyl Trucking, Inc., R. E. Garrison, Inc., and 1-800-Pack-Rat.

This year, as in years passed, we were supported by several gala community events. Phillips & Jordan, Inc., and The Women’s Moose in Zephyrhills collected toys at their annual parties; we also received many fine toys collected at the Smokehouse Rodeo. And, we wish to thank Southern Charms for providing numerous bikes for many of the children living in the Zephyrhills area.

Now for the seventh year, food parcels were provided to all our registered families by our dear friends and valued partner, Food for Tots, Inc. And again, Rotary clubs throughout our community assisted us and provided socks, underwear and toothbrushes at several local distributions.

Santa, I cannot begin to describe the jovial service provided by our community volunteer elves. Scouts, Explorers, NROTC cadets, Cheerleaders, Interact Club students, and a host of other volunteers provide the ‘people power’ we need to sort and distribute all our collected toys. Their combined efforts insured that our Toys for Tots distribution rang out with the true Spirit of Christmas. And Santa, simply stated, they preformed the important undertaking of filling all our participating families with the Joy and Spirit of the holiday season. Santa, their participation was truly outstanding, and delightful to behold.

So many folks to thank and so little space: To the Marine Corps League, many thanks; to the school counselors and Premier Community Health, Inc. that assist us to register our needy families thanks; To The City o Zephyrhills, Pasco Hernando Community College, The County’s Firefighters and Sheriff’s Deputies, the media, and all our many community friends and supporters…, MANY THANKS to One and All! We could not have had such a successful out come without your valued help and support.

So Santa, as Christmas approaches you can be sure that we here in East Pasco County will be ready. Our whole community has, once again, come together to help provide a most Merry Christmas for our children in need.

A Merry Christmas to all.. and, to all a goodnight!

Bob Loring
Toys for Tots of East Pasco
Note: It’s now time for your Head Elf to gobble-down some tangy Figgie Pudding and fully enjoy the Christmas holidays!