Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Diamond geezers boost Toy Appeal
Football fans also launch bid for foodbank donations
Airdrie fans are proving to be real Diamonds as they launch a festive charity drive in support of both the town’s foodbank and the Advertiser’s annual toy appeal.
Members of the Supporters’ Trust are staging their annual Christmas party for young fans this Saturday at New Broomfield, running from 12.30pm to 2.30pm ahead of the League One match at home to Stenhousemuir.
They are hoping to have 100 attendees – and are asking those who are able to come along with donations of gifts for the toy appeal, and/or tinned and nonperishable goods which will go to Airdrie Foodbank.
Last year’s donation drive at the Airdrie Aces party for young supporters resulted in 100 items for the toy appeal and eight crates for the foodbank.
Supporters’ Trust representative Douglas Allsop told the Advertiser: “Airdrie Aces has gone from strength to strength in the past few years, with increasing numbers.
“We’re hoping to have 100 along on Saturday and the target if possible is to try to get the same number of toys and crates for the foodbank as last year.
“The party is open to all young fans, not just Airdrie Aces members; anything which anybody can spare to bring with them for the toy appeal or the foodbank is great and we’d be delighted to have it.”
He added: “The party will include an entertainer, Santa and Christmas presents for the boys and girls who attend.”
Trust members are being supported in their Christmas charity efforts by the club – and head coach Mark Wilson, director of football Gordon Dalziel and coach Donald Jennow this week showed their support for the toy appeal collection drive.
Anyone interested in attending the Airdrie Aces party before kick-off against Stenhousemuir is asked to email airdrietrust@ hotmail.com to help organisers plan for the expected numbers.
The total number of gifts donated to the Advertiser’s fourth annual toy appeal now stands at the impressive total of more than 700 – with seven days remaining to hand over donations to make Christmas a merry one for deserving young people across Monklands.
Generous residents are being asked to donate new items suitable for children of any age right up to 16, and hand them in to the collection points at Asda in Coatbridge, Morrisons in Airdrie and Tesco in both towns.
They will then be distributed by volunteers from Airdrie & Coatbridge Round Table and from children’s charity Spirit Aid to children across both towns.
Asda community champion Ann Binks said: “Presents have been coming in to the store; we’re asking people to think of older children with things like gift sets for teenagers.”
Tesco Coatbridge community champion Elizabeth Wilkie said: “We’ve been kept really busy; colleagues in the store have given a lot of donations too and we’ve also made up lots of stationery packs including quiz books, pens