Westlock Elementary School students are beaming with Christmas spirit after collecting toonies from Nov. 1 to 16 and fundraising $512 for toys to go to Santa’s Anonymous.
Now in its fourth year, Toonies for Toys is a program to bring in educational gifts to help fill the space under the Christmas tree.
Students at the school said it’s important to remember that giving is the reason for the season.
“I think it’s important for kids to have fun, even if it’s only for a little while,” said student Sadie McNee. “I know first-hand that my cousins have to sell their toys for money every summer, so they like having toys to play with for a bit. They get new toys at Christmas, so that’s their good time of the year.”
Discovery Toys consultant Gail Abrams, who also donated her commission to the fund, said after 35 years of teaching, she felt it was a good use of her retirement to help bring toys to those who cannot afford them.
“Students can see that other children don’t have everything that they have, so they get a sense of community and help others out in it,” she said. “I encourage others to donate to Santa’s Anonymous as well.”
The $512 raised by the school was matched by Rilayna Pidsadowski of IDA Pharmacy for the second year in a row.
“I have children myself and I know how exciting Christmas time is, so making sure all children have a chance to enjoy it is important to me,” she said.
Now that the students have purchased the toys, Family and Community Support Services will now split the toys among its families as appropriate. Toys range from robot construction kits for the older students to jigsaw puzzles and toy trucks for the younger kids.
For the students, helping their peers have a happier Christmas was a reward in and of itself.
“It’s nice to help the kids who don’t have toys,” said student Jacob Demers.
“It feels amazing just to know that you are a part of something good that’s starting to go up for these kids, that they’re not having a sad time, just sitting around with nothing to do.
“They’re actually able to have fun now. At least they have something to play with and use their imaginations. I think that’s really special.”
