People were in a giving mood Saturday as a steady stream of them turned out to donate to Toys for Tots. The annual toy drive started at 7 a.m. Saturday, with WNDU Channel 16 news anchor Tricia Sloma and meteorologist David Harker staying until 10 a.m. The toy drive continued past 11 a.m. in the parking lot of the new Warsaw City Hall downtown. According to Warsaw Police Dept. Sgt. and former U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Dave Morales, the organizer for Toys for Tots in Kosciusko County, Toys for Tots should meet last year’s numbers in terms of donations. He knew by Saturday morning that the monetary donations already exceeded 2012’s numbers. While more than 220 families will be helped by Toys for Tots in the county this Christmas, that number is down from previous years. Morales said that could be a good thing because that means more families may have been able to get back on their feet. Morales said the toy drive Saturday saw donations from Tippecanoe Valley and Warsaw Community School corporations. Large monetary donations, as well as toys, came from a number of companies, including Dalton’s and Biomet. Churches and clubs collected toys and brought them in Saturday. Several local firefighters gave donations of money and/or toys, from Atwood and Mentone to Plain Township, Morales mentioned. Toys for Tots is completely conducted by volunteers. A number of them showed up Saturday morning to help. “We had a large number of volunteers from the community,” Morales stated, from firefighters to former Marines, clubs, and students. A special needs group from Tippecanoe Valley spent a part of their morning volunteering, he noted, along with Morales’ family and friends. Select chorales from Warsaw Community and Wawasee high schools performed. The military loaned its vehicles for display, and RE/Max and Warsaw Community Schools donated their vehicles to load the toys in. Morales thanked the City of Warsaw for use of its property and vehicles. Santa Claus was even on hand thanks to volunteers. Radio station Willie 103 hosted its annual toy drive at Big R and Walmart last week for Toys for Tots. By Friday night, the station collected more than 4,100 toys, surpassing its previous record. Donations can still be made to Toys for Tots. New and unopened toys can be dropped off at various locations throughout Kosciusko County until Dec. 16. They will be delivered Dec. 21 starting at 8:30 a.m. A family receiving toys should make sure that someone will be home to receive them or make arrangements to pick them up prior to that date. Toy drop-off locations in Warsaw include both Owen’s stores, Martin’s Supermarket, Menard’s, Marsh Supermarket, Warsaw Police Department, CVS, Walgreen’s, WCHS and the Warsaw Community Schools administration building, Monteith Tire Center, Reneker’s Sports Shop, Big R, all Dollar General stores, WRSW and Willie 103, Family Video, Best Deal Auto, Walmart, Copper River, Ruby Tuesdays, State Farm Insurance on Detroit Street, Village Pantry/Marathon gas station on South Buffalo Street and 1st Federal Savings Bank. Other locations in the county include Winona Lake Fire Department; CVS stores in Syracuse and North Webster; Dollar General stores in Syracuse, Milford, Pierceton and Mentone; MutualBank, Syracuse; Family Dollar, Silver Lake; and Benson Communications, Syracuse. For more information, email Morales at dmorales@warsaw.in.gov or call 574-549-4457; 574-372-9534, Ext. 341, and leave a voice mail; or call him directly at WCHS at 574-371-5099. More information on Toys for Tots is available at toysfortots.org
