Good-deed do’ers are out in force this holiday season. Many of
them could be found at Fire Station No. 2 in Gilroy last Saturday
morning helping to sort and wrap the large trailer full of donated
presents.
Good-deed do’ers are out in force this holiday season. Many of them could be found at Fire Station No. 2 in Gilroy last Saturday morning helping to sort and wrap the large trailer full of donated presents.
As part of the South Santa Clara County Firefighter’s Association Toy Drive, members, firefighters and service clubs started early in the morning unloading the loaned Trans Valley Transport 18-wheel trailer and sorting them into age appropriate piles. San Martin and Adams 4-H groups worked alongside Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts forming a present-passing brigade from the trailer into the fire truck garage.
The mood was cheerful and friendly as families banned together with other families to help make the holiday season brighter for the 100 adopted groups.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Toy Drive, according to Heidi Linden, daughter of founder Marcia Linden.
“My mom got the idea when we were visiting cousins out-of-state many years ago,” she said. “They had tags on trees for seniors that people would take and buy a present for that person. Mom had the idea to set up trees for children and families in need.”
The giving trees have grown to 28 locations in eight cities in the South Bay from banks, to dance studios, to grocery stores.
According to George Kievlan, Chief Officer of the Paid Call Firefighters Association, volunteers come out to Station No. 2 for one Saturday before Christmas and work to organize the tremendous load of presents.
For some families, the work has become a family tradition, such as Cub Scout leader Bill Kendrick and his children Ryan, Kellie and BJ. Russell Lash, otherwise known as the man wearing bows, has worked as a volunteer for the program for five years representing San Martin 4-H. Olivia Reason takes the day to work alongside her firefighter father, John Reason. Smiling, but noticing the calluses on his hands from passing so many presents, was longtime South County resident and retired paid call firefighter Steve Knepper.
Bob and Adrienne Acosta, and their three kids Matt, Josh and Danielle, have helped the Toy Drive effort for the past few years through both Boy Scout Troop 730 and Girl Scout troop 1354.
According to Mark Lilga, a member of the Firefighter’s Association, 105 people volunteered to help on Saturday coming from surrounding cities such as Oakland, San Ramon, Santa Cruz and Boulder Creek. Most of the advertising was by word of mouth but the action of the volunteers was in their working hands.
A quote I found recently on the back of a box of Tabouli seems appropriate. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger that any material force, that thoughts rule the world.” The Toy Drive volunteer angels have heeded the call.
To my readers; Peace. Go forth and multiply your thoughts and put them into action. Happy new year and ciao for now.
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