STANDARD TRANSMISSIONS
TOY DRIVE!
By Rik Davie/The Scugog Standard

It’s toy drive time again in North Durham. The folks in Uxbridge are well underway with their campaign, so watch for dates and places where you can donate.
_In Scugog, we are hard at work on our drive and the annual ‘Fill-the-Van’ days are set to go. As usual, the great folks at Gus Brown, led by Mike Adam, will have a pick-up truck in the showroom where you can drop off food or toys and they also donated ‘Anne’s Toy Box’ - the van The Standard is using to collect toys and food donations that we have dedicated this year to the memory of Anne Wanninkhof, a pioneer in charity work in the area and a driving force behind Operation Scugog and the toy and food drive for many years.
_Unlike Santa’s reindeer, vans run on gas, so the great guys at Fleilers Ultramar are filling the toy truck’s tank and Glenn and Kelly Evans always supply us with the place to safely harbour the Christmas goodies at their All Port Self Storage.
_You can drop off toys in Scugog at The Standard, Crabby Joe’s, Vos’ Independent, Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart and be assured they will go to kids in this area.
_The BIA and other local businesses - including The Source next door to The Standard - are accepting donations and there will be a draw for huge prizes and gift cards for some lucky elf.
_One tip to pass on - two, actually - in your toy drive gift giving: no matter how gently used, we cannot accept second-hand toys or unpackaged items, with the exception of game systems; anda trust me on this one, while stuffed animals are great for little kids, don’t forget the pre-teens and teenagers. We accept gift cards and cash donations are used to purchase gift cards from local retailers for the youth crowd.
_And here’s a tip. Mom and dad make sure the kids are taken care of, with our help, but what about mom and dad? Over the years, we have received tool sets and belts and even electric frying pans that have made a parent’s Christmas morning a bit brighter.
_But the main thing is to give - this year especially. More and more, the folks at Operation Scugog Food Bank and the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank in Uxbridge are seeing the working poor coming to them for help. The people who hold down full- or part-time jobs ... sometimes more than one ... and at the end of the month still don’t have enough to get by, never mind the extras.
_The folks at Port Perry and Uxbridge Canadian Tire help local kids by covering fees for hockey and baseball through their Jump Start program, but the kids need equipment. Have you checked out the price of a hockey stick? One regular toy drive donor always gives us a number of hockey sticks so that a broken stick one week doesn’t mean no hockey the next.
_The Scugog Standard/Operation Scugog Toy and Food Drive kicked off last weekend at the Port Perry Santa Claus Parade, and our first ‘Fill the Van’ days are this Saturday (Dec. 3) at Vos’ Independent Sunday (Dec. 4) at Wal-Mart, both days from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
_But don’t feel you have to wait. There are collection boxes out all over town. And remember, when you’re picking up toys and gift cards for the kids, shop local! That creates the jobs that help folks make their own way and allow them to become, as many have, Toy Drive donors instead of recipients.
_And if you just don’t have the time - or, like me, you forget stuff - don’t be afraid to make a cash donation of any size to the drive, and don’t be afraid to organize your friends and ask them to join you.
_Above all, come out and show your kids how to share with others. Kids all receive candy canes and a colouring book courtesy of The Standard and local retailers.... So let’s give!
_Nobody gives like North Durham folk give!