BAINBRIDGE – Scores of underprivileged children will don gleeful smiles on Christmas morning thanks to Sunday’s “Rock in the Park” fundraiser. Chenango’s Toys for Tots began its year with a bleak forecast, as early collections failed to reach the numbers of previous years.
“We started the year off low because of the flood in Johnson City last year,” said Bainbridge Toys for Tots’ coordinator Roger Barnhart. The Toys R Us in Johnson City, a major contributor to the charity, was submerged during the flooding, forcing them to focus this year on recuperating.
Though Toys for Tots receives many donations from large cooperations, such as Toys R Us, the majority of the toys come from individuals in the community who want to make sure all of the children in the area are grinning on Christmas.
Sunday’s fundraiser will go a long way towards offsetting any shortcomings caused by last year’s flooding, said Barnhart. “It all went really well, plus it was a lot of fun,” said Barnhart about the Rock in the Park.
“We are able to collect 12 bags of toys and on top of that this Frida,y we will be presenting Toys for Tots with a $3,742 check,” said Jason Hall, who along with his wife organized the Rock in the Park fundraiser. Both he and Barnhart agreed the success of the event has marked it as one of the organization’s biggest fundraisers of the year.
The nonprofit organization distributes the toys to children based on an honor system. Parents are only asked to present an address and proof of custody to receive toys for their children. “We have never had the means to test someone,” said Barnhart. To exemplify the generous spirit of compassion that defines Toys for Tots, Barnhart relayed the story of a father who, out of the blue, was laid off two weeks before Christmas. The father had been going through some tough times and would not receive his unemployment check in time for Christmas. Even though, based purely on the father’s tax returns, he was not eligible to receive toys for his children, the organizers didn’t turn him away.
“If someone is at a point where they feel the need to come to us, then they shouldn’t be hassled. What is most important is that the children receive toys because it gives parents a chance show their children they care about them,” said Barnhart.
The proud parents of five children, Hall and his wife believe strongly in the Toys for Tots cause. The success of the Rock in the Park fundraiser has spurred the couple to begin planning next year’s event already. “Everything went really well and we would not change a thing,” said Hall. Due to the event’s favorable outcome, the only modifications presently in the works are a shift forward in date to warmer day and aspirations to somehow make next year’s musical fundraiser even bigger.
As always, volunteers are needed to help move the toys from storage to this year’s pickup location. For information on making a donation or volunteering, call 226-3814.