BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
METUCHEN — A collaboration between the Metuchen Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Local 60 and the Metuchen SportsPlex amassed thousands of toys in three weeks to bring joy to sick and less fortunate children during the holidays.
On Dec. 20, employees at the Metuchen SportsPlex and members of the Metuchen PBA packed up three pick-up trucks and one police car with the toys and traveled to the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick, Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick and the Somerset Home for Temporarily Misplaced Children in Bridgewater to deliver the toys.
“It only took a few hours, but was priceless to the children, PBA members and Metuchen SportsPlex employees,” said Police Officer Joseph Keane, who serves as the New Jersey State PBA delegate for the Metuchen PBA.
Johanna Gelber, general manager at the Metuchen SportsPlex, said they organized a similar drive last year and they collected 500 toys through their customers and neighbors in Metuchen and Edison.
“We delivered those toys to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital,” she said. “This year our goal was to beat that number.”
Through Police Chief David Irizarry, Gelber and Keane put their minds together and through social media and outreach throughout the community, they were able to exceed their goal.
“Within the first week we received 1,300 toys,” said Gelber. “A nice businessman in town donated money boxes and small Snoopy dolls with the scarf. So we put those in storage and over the next week we received 800 stuffed animals and a $200 gift card. We went to the dollar store and bought 200 toys. It was awesome.”
Gelber added that toys were collected at the Metuchen PBA holiday party and the Metuchen Municipal Pool.
Keane said he and Irizarry thought the toy drive would be an excellent opportunity to get involved in the community and join forces with the Metuchen SportsPlex employees to give back.
“Many generous residents, PBA members and SportsPlex employees showed their support by donating toys for our cause,” he said. “This was truly a great event and a chance for our PBA members, local residents and Metuchen SportsPlex employees to bring joy to sick and less fortunate children during the holidays.”
Gelber said the support from the community was overwhelming.
Keane said they hope to continue this tradition and make it even bigger next year.
“Maybe we can even have Santa Claus make an appearance,” he said.