Toy and cash donations flooded into the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive like never before in 2020. (Great Nanaimo Toy Drive)

By Spencer Sterritt

Christmas cheer

Generosity fuels Great Nanaimo Toy Drive

Jan 3, 2021 | 7:41 AM

NANAIMO – The annual Great Nanaimo Toy Drive hit a new high in 2020.

Carolyn Iles with the event said families responded like never before to the call for donated gifts and cash to help those struggling to put a toy under the tree.

“We had little children bringing toys to our drop off centre to make sure others had a toy,” Iles told NanaimoNewsNOW. “We had a phenomenal number of individuals and companies who made cash donations this year. That was unexpected and so gratifying.”

Over 400 families registered to receive a toy, equalling more than 1,200 children who had a happier Christmas thanks to the generosity of others.

Iles said the number of families in need was in line with expectations, but the community support was above and beyond what she’d hoped.

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“It really reminded us there were more than just our board members and a few volunteers behind us, that there was a real community effort to make this happen for the less fortunate families.”

Iles said they weren’t sure if the annual event would happen, since planning and toy donation collection happened when COVID-19 cases were rising sharply.

In the end, they reduced the number of volunteers handling toys to only direct families, rather than a bubble of six.

“When you have just two or three people trying to fill toy requests for over 400 families, it was phenomenal to know as these bags were being filled more toys were comine and more cash was being donated,” Iles said.

“It was just great.”

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