'Tots' still hopes to hit goal
It started as a joke.
A New Jersey, tired of the self-checkout at a box store in his hometown — at least on that day — created a Facebook calendar event for a "self-checkout employee Christmas party."
Pretty soon, almost 3,000 people said they planned to attend the event — and another 21,000 indicted they were interested. Andrew Delgado quickly posted an update, according to a story on the Good News Network website. While it started as a light-hearted moment, Delgado said the response made him think.
"What if … I was to organize a big toy drive where we have a Santa Claus and then we all purchase toys from the store, pile them outside and then donate them to whatever children happen to come to the store," Delgado wrote in late November. "I genuinely believe that something good can come from this."
While the event couldn't be held at the store, the local Elks Lodge offered their Lacey Township location as a drop-off site, the website reported.
By the time the last toy was dropped off, more than 7,000 people participated and truckloads of toys, food, pet food and other donations flooded the lodge.
In an update posted after the event, Delgado's wife, Nicole, wrote that even the smallest pebble can make the biggest ripple.
"Never in a million years did we think we would ever be able to help so many kids for the holidays, but you all made that happen," Nicole Delgado wrote. "If each child could receive just one gift from [the Dec. 15] event and the wishlist we have shared for those who couldn’t make it, over 1,000 kids would have a big smile Christmas morning."
Like the Delgados and their host of volunteers, the Sandpoint Lions want to make sure every child in the community has a merry Christmas — each and every year. While Christmas has passed, the Lions are still working to hit their goal to ensure a merry Christmas is had in 2024. To help the Lions attempt to meet their $75,000 goal, the Toys for Tots drive is continuing through Dec 31.
Won’t you join them in making a donation — it doesn’t matter how big or how small — and help the Sandpoint Lions Club reach its goal for Toys for Tots?
To date, $48,519.87 has been raised toward the amount needed to ensure all local youth have the merriest of Christmases.
Funds raised during the annual campaign go to purchase new toys for area children — or gift cards for older youth — who live in the Lake Pend Oreille School District. Every Christmas, the Lions help almost 1,000 area children, from Sandpoint to Clark Fork and all points in between.
In addition, the Lions give a gift card to a local grocery store so that families can get supplies for their Christmas dinner.
Demand for the program is well above last year's total, with 100 more applications submitted during the first week than in 2022.
Donations for Toys for Tots can be dropped off at the front desk at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also drop off donations (checks and cashier's checks) at Umpqua Bank’s Sandpoint branch, 414 Church St., or at the Ponderay branch, 300 Bonner Mall Way; and at the Ponderay Starbucks.
Donations may be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, Box 414, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
Donations made by check are preferred. Be sure to include a note with your check indicating that it is a Toys for Tots donation. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, please mention that in your note.
If the donation is being made in someone’s name, be sure to also include a note.
Information: Sandpoint Lions Club, 208-263-4118, or online at bit.ly/SandpointLions