The Fergus Lions Toy Drive, held in partnership with Reliable Ford, has inspired the community to provide a nice Christmas to children across Centre Wellington for the past 15 years – and organizers say this year the need has increased.
“We definitely know this will be our toughest year and we’re hoping the community will help us out,” said Gary Waterhouse, chair of the toy drive.
Each year, the community is asked to bring new, unwrapped toys, cash donations or gift certificates to Reliable Ford to support the Centre Wellington Food Bank’s (CWFB) Christmas Hamper program.
“We are grateful to Greg McCabe and Nicole McCabe and all the staff at Reliable Ford for letting us fill their showroom with toys,” Waterhouse said.
At the Nov. 13 launch of the toy drive, held at the dealership, members of the Fergus Lions Club presented Brian Dowling, a CWFB volunteer and board member, with a donation of $2,000 to the food bank.
“This year is expected to have the most need, and as such the Fergus Lions Club has increased its cash donation to $2,000 to get the project going in full force and hopefully drive the interest within the community again this year,” Waterhouse said. “Every year the support of the community has been overwhelming.”
He added, “The money will go to the food bank’s Christmas hamper program to be used as they see fit.
“Obviously there has been a lot of job loss in our community. The food bank is under a lot of difficulty just keeping up with the demand.”
Dowling confirmed the ongoing community need for the food bank.
“We’ve had 10 new clients in the last two weeks and it just keeps increasing,” Dowling said. “We are seeing an increasing number of families.”
He added, “We’ve increased the number of hampers to over 300 this year,” noting that last year’s Christmas hamper program had a registration of approximately 200 households.
There is no specific age request for toys, but Waterhouse said there is always a great need for gifts for older youths.
“We hope that people will think of the teens and perhaps consider a gift certificate for them, as those are the most popular options,” Waterhouse said.
The toy drive will run for four weeks ending on Dec. 11, when the Fergus Lions will pick up the toys and cash donations and deliver them to the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex to match with the needs of the Christmas Hamper Program deliveries.
For the staff at Reliable Ford, the tradition of hosting the toy drive in their showroom is a highlight of the season.
“It’s really close to our hearts,” said Nicole McCabe, manager of dealership operations. “We like to help the children of Centre Wellington have a great Christmas. It’s about giving back.”
To further support the toy drive, the Fergus Santa Claus Parade, hosted by the Lions, Optimist and Kinsmen Clubs of Fergus on Dec. 7, will feature the theme “A Beary Special Christmas.” People are asked to bring along a new stuffed Teddy bear or toy to donate.
“We want the children to bring their own bears to watch the parade, but bring another stuffed toy to donate, to help another child,” Waterhouse said.
If they can’t make the parade, Waterhouse hopes people will make the trip to Reliable Ford during its showroom hours.
“It’s as easy as walking in and leaving a gift under the tree,” he said. “They’ll get to feel a part of making a difference in the life of a child in their own community.”
Reliable Ford is located at 990 Tower Street South. For more information call 519-843-3060.
