By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — For nearly two decades, WCNL has been collecting toys and donations for Toys for Tots during the holidays, and General Manager Steve Smith was happy to report another successful event where they collected 894 toys and $7,577.50 over the course of three days.
The 18th annual WCNL Toys for Tots Toy Drive took place from Dec. 4 to Dec. 6, and Smith said while the weather and the economy presented obstacles, they had a big push on Friday for donations. He said there was support from all throughout the community, including major contributions from anonymous donors, local businesses and organizations, the Newport Police Department and the Professional Firefighters of Newport.
Chief Alex Lee and members of the Newport Police Department stopped by the drive to drop off more than 20 unwrapped presents.
“This is something that has been a longtime tradition and a partnership with the police union, so the Newport Police Benevolent Association donates money and we go out and buy toys,” Lee explained. “Some employees just went out on their own to donate toys, as well. Then we all go over to deliver them, coinciding with my morning slot on the station. It’s a great tradition that we are happy to continue.”
Newport Fire Chief Steve Yanuzzi said that any time they can give back to the community is a good thing, whether it is through the union who donated in the drive or the fire department itself.
“Participating in community events is very important,” Yanuzzi said. “A lot of times when we see people something bad has happened. It could be their worst day. So when you can go to block parties, go to the farmer’s market, or things like events like this, it is a good way for us to show them how much we care and thank everyone for what they do for us.”
Lee commended Smith and those at the radio station for the devotion to the cause, standing in the cold and braving the winter elements for three straight days.
Smith explained that the station serves as a drop off location for Toys for Tots during the event held on Main Street each day. The station switches entirely over to Christmas music during the holiday season, and periodically Smith would come on the air for energetic updates about the drive.
“It’s designed to be an awareness campaign where we can get a big influx of toys,” Smith said. “We broadcasted three days from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m., and it is always the first week of December. This is because the folks at Toys for Tots need to get the toys now so they can distribute them later.”
Smith explained that some people would come by and drop off a toy or two here and there, or a monetary donation. Others would come with 50 toys, showing that people in the community were helping any way they could.
“These toys are for babies all the way to teenagers,” Smith said. “Teenagers are tough because it is the one that kind of gets forgotten about, and they’re the hardest ones too. So they’re putting a call out for them.”
While this year was slightly down from last year, Smith felt that it was a “huge success.”
“I’ve been doing this long enough to know that the economy drastically affects how much people are able to donate,” Smith said. “But the amount of people who donated was astounding. It was fantastic to see some who save up all year to make this donation, and it helps out kids they aren’t even going to know. That’s the best part.”
Toys for Tots has been around since 1999 and run by the Marine Corps Reserve, and there are hubs across the country with the Newport area being in the Lebanon hub. Since this covers the Upper River Valley, toys collected will potentially help Newport kids with presents but will also be distributed to other communities. Toys for Tots collects the toys, organizes them and different nonprofits can come in and do their shopping. Smith said an example is Kiwanis Cares out of Claremont, which shops for toys and then distributes them to parents so they can wrap them up for their child to open.
A message was left with the Campaign Coordinator Warren Coughlin but not received by deadline.
Smith said blue collar working people always rally, saying that the Sugar River region is “a down to Earth, nurturing community that will support its own.”
“People here will rally and they care an awful lot,” Smith said. “This area gets behind stuff and support people. It’s a phenomenal place.”
