It’s that time of year again and the Fergus Lions Club is asking the community to continue the giving spirit.
Lions kicked off their annual toy drive and presented a $2,000 donation to the Centre Wellington Food Bank at Reliable Motors in Fergus on Nov. 16. Anyone wanting to donate a toy or gift can drop them off at Reliable Motors until Dec. 14 or during the Fergus Santa Claus parade on Dec. 3.
Both Lions toy drive coordinator Gary Waterhouse and Centre Wellington Food Bank chair Jackie Andrews said the community is very generous in their support and hope to continue that again this year.
“Our idea was that the food bank looks after the food and we all know that but we always thought that the kids at Christmas time maybe don’t get the attention that they need or don’t get the gifts at Christmas that the other kids are getting,” said Waterhouse.
Last year, the drive raised over $4,600 in cash donations and nine vehicles of toys.
“I’ve been doing it 10 years and I think in 10 years every year we’ve increased the amount of toys we get and we’ve increased the amount of Lions that come out here … and food and money that’s generated,” said Waterhouse.
Andrews added that the community is generous and the Lions give residents a place to donate. This helps the stress of Christmas for families who are in need.
Holiday stress reduced
“What the Lions club is doing is allowing our food bank family parent to … come and choose toys and then the stress isn’t there,” Andrews said.
She said the food bank has served 233 families so far this year, including 50 children in preschool or younger, 100 in elementary school and 75 in high school.
The community can also donate during the Fergus Santa Claus parade, which Waterhouse said gets the kids involved.
“Bring a toy or a gift of some sort and let the kids present it to the guys walking beside the truck. That way you get the kids involved themselves and you stimulate the fact that it’s better to give than to receive, you know the Christmas spirit,” said Waterhouse.
The Lions Club welcomes new, unwrapped toys, gift cards and cash.
