Without Goodfellows, holidays would be joyless for some kids
For Ashley Beck, donating to Toys for Tots is an easy sell.
Ms. Beck, an Upper St. Clair resident who works at BNY Mellon, Downtown, dropped off gifts including Crazy Aaron Thinking Putty and stuffed animals at the Steel Plaza T stop Friday morning. Radio station Q92.9 FM and the Marine Corps teamed with the Port Authority to culminate a week of collections throughout the area at the transit stop.
“I usually donate to animal charities, but this is a good one, too,” Ms. Beck said. “It’s easy. Every year I drop off something here on my way to work.”
The toy collections are part of the community-wide effort to make sure no child wakes up without a present on Christmas morning. The Post-Gazette collects money from readers through the Goodfellows Fund to help the Marine Corps buy additional toys.
Morning host Diaz did his show from the T mezzanine Friday, complete with holiday and original music from the Olga Watkins Band. Donors filled more than a halfdozen boxes with toys ranging from footballs, remote-control cars and a skateboard to a Disney Dory art set and Cars plushy.
Lance Cpl. Greg Jones of Jefferson Hills said the collections had similar success in Ross and Mt. Lebanon this week. The Marines will be collecting sans the radio station near the Build-a-Bear Workshop at South Hills Village today.
“I think this is a great program the Marine Corps does,” Cpl. Jones said. “I enjoy being out here.”
Readers can make tax-deductible contributions to the Goodfellows Fund using the coupon that appears in the newspaper or online at www.post-gazette.com/
goodfellows.
Toys for Tots works with more than 100 social service agencies to identify organizations and families in need of a helping hand for the holidays. In addition, individual families can receive toys directly from the Guardian Storage warehouse from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 10 at 2839 Liberty Ave.
Recipients must bring a valid ID or driver’s license; an Access card or proof of government assistance/unemployment; a birth certificate for each child; and a utility bill, phone bill or other proof that you live at the physical address listed on your other information.