This year’s 25th annual Burlington County Sheriff’s Department Holiday Toy Drive is already the largest in the department’s history, and it just received another big donation from a community partner.
Marine Toys for Tots of Burlington County, a Mount Laurel-based nonprofit that conducts its own toy drive each winter, contributed two truckloads of 75 bicycles and toys to the Sheriff’s Department last week to distribute to needy families, according to a prepared statement.
Earlier this year, the Sheriff’s Department had agreed to supply gifts to some Toys for Tot families after the Mount Laurel organization lost a large shipping container of toys because of flood damages. But thanks to some extra generous donations, Toys for Tots was able to recover from that loss and send some extra bicycles and toys to assist the Sheriff’s Department drive, according to the statement.
“This is what the holidays are all about: Helping one another. We’re all in Burlington County working hard to help as many families as possible,” Sheriff Anthony Basantis said in the statement. “We know numerous children in need and all these toys and bikes will help brighten their holiday.”
Toys for Tots Coordinator Gina Capate said the organization was proud to team with the Sheriff’s Department.
“We wanted to partner with Burlington County Sheriff’s Department because we all have the same mission: for every child to open a toy for Christmas. They were generous enough to take on the groups I didn’t think I would be able to help this year,” Capate said in the statement. “My idea was to reach out to the Sheriff’s Department and share the wealth. It means a lot to us to give to them.”
Toys for Tots’ donation to the Sheriff’s Drive comes on the heels of a $26,000 donation of toys, sporting equipment, electronics, household essentials and personal hygiene items to the Sheriff’s Toy Drive by Amazon’s Burlington Fulfillment Center, according to the statement.
“Both these donations were extraordinarily generous. We want to thank Toys for Tots, Amazon and all the other residents and businesses that have donated this year,” Sheriff Basantis said in the statement. “Because of all this community support, this is already our most successful toy drive in our 25-year history.”