Caption: The fourth annual Day of Sharing benefit for this holiday season’s US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program will be held on Saturday, November 24th at the new Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center, located at 26 East First Street in Oswego. Shown pictured at last year’s holiday event with some area families is Santa Claus, local Toys for Tots representatives Chris Jones and John Zalenski.
Oswego, NY – The fourth annual Day of Sharing benefit for this holiday season’s US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program will be held on Saturday, November 24th at the new Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center, adjacent to the Best Western Captain’s Quarters, at 26 East First Street in Oswego.
Since the program was founded in 1947, every year Toys for Tots provides grateful families nationwide with the joy of a new gift on Christmas. The mission of the Toys for Tots program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November, and December each year, and distribute the toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community.
The Day of Sharing festivities begin at Noon on the 24th with the arrival of Santa Claus on an Oswego Fire Department Fire Truck at 2:00 pm. Children can then have photos taken with Santa for free with a contribution made to the Toys for Tots Drop box at the event. All day activities will also include a choir, numerous raffle baskets, Christmas stories, and a showing of classic Christmas cartoons. In addition, there will be a variety of holiday arts and crafts and a woodworking shop made available through the Oswego High School, as well as Christmas ornament making courtesy of the Oswego Kiwanis Club.
Event goers can also purchase limited edition Toys for Tots ornaments with a minimal donation of $5.
“We are really excited about our fourth annual Day of Sharing event and our new location at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center,” said local Toys for Tots Coordinator Chris Jones. “Last year’s event helped provide toys to over 300 children within our community, and we are looking forward to topping that total this year.”
According to Jones, the community support for this year’s toy drive has been considerable, and includes the Broadwell Hospitality Group (Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center, Quality Inn & Suites Riverfront, Best Western Captain’s Quarters, and GS Steamers), Oswego-based advertising and public relations firm Step One Creative, the Oswego Firefighter’s Association #2707, and the Oswego Lake City Police Club. Also, joining on this year as a major supporter of the program were the Oswego Border Patrol, Oswego Coast Guard, and Oswego County Sheriff’s.
“We are very pleased to partner once again this year with Chris and the Toys for Tots program,” said Shane Broadwell, a partner with Broadwell Hospitality Group. “The Toys for Tots program and Day of Sharing Event is a great way to bring the community together, in an effort to help out those families who might be less fortunate during the holiday season.”
Drop off box locations within the Oswego community include: Burger’s Okinawan Karate School, Novelis Corp, Canale’s Restaurant, American Legion, VFW, Lighthouse Lanes, Oswego County FCU, Wal-mart, JC Penney’s, Raby’s Ace Hardware, River’s End Bookstore, Alliance Bank, Quality Inn & Suites Riverfront, Best Western, Bridie Manor, Burritt Motors, City Hall, Dynamic Sound & Security, Clearview Pool & Stove, Big Lots, A Finishing Touch Salon, Beacon Hotel, Leo Pryor’s Taekwondo America, All Kinney Locations, Oswego Family Physicians, Oswego Police Department, and Eastside Oswego Fire Department.
According to Jones, there are numerous other drop box locations throughout Oswego County and Central New York.
For additional information please contact: Chris Jones, Toys for Tots Coordinator at (315) 342-0396. To learn more about Toys for Tots please visit their national site at www.toysfortots.org, or for local information http://fulton-ny.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.asp.
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