Fire Dept. holds Toy Drive
Volunteers Caden Roscoe and Caleb Isgett helped load toys into waiting vehicles. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES
Volunteers Caden Roscoe and Caleb Isgett helped load toys into waiting vehicles. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES
DFD Chief Pat Cavanaugh (right) and firefighter A.J. Cox helped load toys into waiting vehicles. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES
Christmas came early for dozens of local families in need as the Darlington Fire Department turned the First Baptist Church parking lot into a toy pickup depot on Dec. 19. Due to COVID-19 precautions, this year’s Children’s Christmas Fund toy pickup day became a drive-thru event where volunteers loaded each family’s gifts into their vehicle to minimize close-up interactions and avoid indoor crowds. DFD Captain Perry Kelly said this year’s Taste of Christmas fundraiser, paired with some generous donations, yielded enough money to purchase gifts for 28 families, bringing Christmas cheer to 68 local children. “We even ended up being able to help a couple of other agencies, we were so blessed with donations and toys that people gave to the program,” said Kelly. “We were able to pass some on and help them out as well.” Gift wish lists are based on the children’s age and interests, so if a boy prefers monster trucks over baseball, his Christmas gifts should fit the bill. Each year, these gifts are distributed to the families on the weekend before Christmas, so they have plenty of time to make arrangements with Santa. If you’d like to make a tax deductible donation to the Children’s Christmas Fund, mail a check to: Darlington Fire Department, 301 Orange St., Darlington, SC 29532. Please write “TOY FUND” in the memo section.