Accies’ Xmas treat
The community outreach team at Hamilton Accies hosted a free festive toy giveaway to make Christmas a little bit easier for those facing financial difficulty.
They were able to do so after receiving a mammoth toy donation from the Glasgowbased Emmie Smillie Charity Foundation, which was formed in 2016 following the death of 34-year-old Emmie from colon and liver cancer.
The foundation, working with the Lanarkshire-based Donna Mortimer Ballantyne Charitable Trust, reached out to Hamilton Accies to provide goodies for those in Lanarkshire after distributing thousands of toys in Glasgow.
And the football club transformed their Mccarthy and Mcarthur suite into a winter wonderland to host the Christmas toy initiative.
Toys were available to suit youngsters from age 2 to 12, with wrapping stations also set up to enable parents and carers to choose their item and then wrap it up before leaving.
Hamilton Accies chief executive Colin Mcgowan told the Advertiser: “Every child deserves gifts to open on Christmas Day.
“Thanks go to our staff, players and most importantly the fantastic Emmie Smillie Charity Foundation for their generosity and for giving us the opportunity to open our doors and make it possible for a Christmas full of fun, joy and happiness for all.”
A spokeswoman for the foundation said: “We were delighted to work with Hamilton Accies in distributing toys and making Christmas wishes come true for so many children.”
For more information on the foundation visit www.facebook.com/ emmiesmilliecharityfoundation.