Toys for Tots meets campaign goal in southwest Georgia

ALBANY — The goal for the Toys for Tots campaign based out of southwest Georgia, despite a drop in activity due to Hurricane Michael, was to collect 50,000 toys for children living in 11 counties.

When it was time for the campaign to wrap up, it had met that mark.

“We had a really big success,” Staff Sgt. Ellese Lawrence, the Toys for Tots coordinator for the Albany-based campaign, said. “We hit 50,000 toys, or just a little bit over.”

The campaign’s primary distribution event took place in Albany on Dec. 15, where in addition to receiving toys for their children to open up on Christmas morning, needy families also received giveaways from attractions such as Chehaw and All-American Fun Park.

“It was a really good turnout,” Lawrence said.

A last-minute registration event for eligible families was held on Dec. 6, which Lawrence said brought in 350 additional toy recipients. There were some toys left behind by families who did not pick them up, as well as a few donations that came in late — all of which will now go toward the 2019 campaign.

Lawrence said there was significant business support, especially after the hurricane hit on Oct. 10. She also gave significant credit to those working directly with her to collect and distribute for the needs of low-income families who may have otherwise not had any toys under their Christmas tree.

“Each one of them played a vital part,” she said.

She made a point of praising Deerfield-Windsor School, which collected 500-600 toys and raised $16,000. Monetary donations given to Toys for Tots are used to purchase toys for children up to age 14 who are registered to receive donations.

Lawrence said that, next year, the campaign would likely be doing its own toy drive, and get Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany more involved in the cause.

While receiving support from schools and businesses, the media played an important role. Lawrence said the campaign received news coverage from Albany area media outlets at least once every two weeks, and that those involved next year’s campaign would be sure to maintain that connection.

“I thought it (the campaign) was amazing,” the staff sergeant, coming off of her first year as a campaign coordinator, said. “There was a lot that came with it, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. We really enjoyed it.”

The goal of this year’s campaign was to collect 50,000 toys while serving at least 4,000-5,000 children in southwest Georgia. Following the distribution in Albany, the campaign also conducted distribution events in Milledgeville on Dec. 22 and in Thomasville on Dec. 23.

Nationally, Toys for Tots has distributed 548 million toys to date since 1947. For more information, visit toysfortots.org.