Shrewsbury Volkswagen partners with CHOP for holiday toy and gift drive

Shrewsbury Volkswagen, the region’s largest Volkswagen dealer, is continuing its longstanding partnership with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) by hosting a toy and gift drive to benefit the hospital.

Now through Dec. 20, area residents and businesses are invited to drop off new, unwrapped toys and gifts at Shrewsbury Volkswagen in Tinton Falls. The items will be wrapped and distributed to children at the hospital throughout the holiday season. The toy and gift drive benefits children of all ages — from infant to 17 years of age — and includes toys, games, crafts, books, clothes and all other age-appropriate donations.

While this is the first year that Shrewsbury VW is hosting the gift drive, the dealership has been a long-time supporter of CHOP. Since 2014, Shrewsbury VW has made a donation to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for every vehicle that the dealership sells. This tradition of giving will continue in 2016, and the dealership is excited to add a new level of sharing with this year’s toy and gift drive.

Shrewsbury VW’s association with CHOP is a very personal endeavor for the dealership. In 2013, General Sales Manager Gino Dellomo’s then 2-year-old daughter, Luciana, spent nearly a year at CHOP with an illness. While Luciana has recovered, the care and support that the family received left an indelible impression on both the Dellomo family and the dealership.

“The doctors, nurses and support staff at CHOP helped save my daughter’s life. I knew I wanted to do something to help other people facing the same fears, tears and sleepless nights that my family went through,” Dellomo said. “So we started making a donation to CHOP for every single vehicle the dealership sells, and this year, we’ve added the toy and gift drive to our efforts. We really want to put some big smiles on little kids’ faces.”

Individuals and businesses interested in donating unwrapped toys or gifts can do so by visiting Shrewsbury Volkswagen between now and Dec. 20. The dealership is located at 702 Shrewsbury Ave. in Tinton Falls. For more information, contact Shrewsbury VW at 732-201-5957, or visit the website at www.shrewsburyvw.com.