By Kelly Alvarado
A huge Cruise-Thru Toys for Tots Collection Drive will take place at John Burns Park in Massapequa on Saturday, December 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain date is December 4). Through its partnership with the United States Marine Corps and Optimum, the Town of Oyster Bay is collecting toys to help those who are less fortunate during the upcoming holiday season. Additionally, collection boxes will be placed at Town facilities for the ‘Cruise-Thru’ until December 14.
“The annual Toys for Tots Drive follows a mission to help ensure that children in need do not have to go the holiday season without something to bring them happiness,” Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said. “Through this program, the USMC works tirelessly each and every year to help ensure that holiday gifts and joy are delivered to children who need them most.”
Santa Claus will make an appearance at the event, and children will drop off their letters to Santa at a drop-off box. Letters must have a legible name and return address in order to be answered by Santa before the holiday.
The town has already started the process of giving out donated toys to children. On November 4, Councilwoman Laura Meier dropped off five pallets of toys to Cohen’s Children Medical Center. These toys were collected through the USMC and the Town. Additionally, Mighty Mason’s Warriors, an organization that fundraises and collects donations in Meier’s son’s name to fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma, has helped provide toys to the children’s medical center.
“As a member of the Town Board, I am proud to say that, in the Town of Oyster Bay, we make donating to those in need a priority – not just during the holidays, but all year long,” Meier said. “While our town certainly supports these worthwhile causes, it really means something special to me to take on such initiatives, knowing first hand what it means to a little boy going through such a tough time to get a toy at the end of a hard treatment.”
Toys for Tots Collection Boxes are located at the following locations:
- Oyster Bay Town Hall North, 54 Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay
- Town Hall South, 977 Hicksville Road, Massapequa
- Ice Skating Center at Bethpage Community Park, 1001 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage