Wednesday, November 30, 2016
AUSTINTOWN
In a friendly inter-school competition, a trophy will be awarded to the Austintown school that collects the most items for Toys for Tots.
But that’s not why Austintown students have so far donated hundreds of toys to the program that distributes Christmas gifts to families in need.
“My family started a tradition that every year we’re going to start donating things to people that don’t have Christmases,” said Amelia Michael, a fourth-grader at Austintown Intermediate School who donated a mini-guitar to the cause.
Third-grade student Tyler Krilik, too, participated because his family wanted to help others who can’t afford Christmas gifts.
“My mom likes to help people that don’t have anything to have at Christmas, so my mom and dad wanted to help,” said Tyler, who gave a Barbie doll and a toy train.
For fifth-grader Mia Rucci, who gave a game, the annual toy collection has become a family tradition.
All three students won pizza parties for their classrooms by participating in the toy drive. So far, the intermediate school has collected approximately 200 items.
The high school, middle school, and elementary schools also are participating in the program, with the aim of wresting the trophy away from the reigning champion.
“We’ve been one of the biggest contributors in the Mahoning Valley,” said Jeff Swavel, principal of the school for third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students.
As for why the school so strongly encourages participation in the program, he said: “For us it’s kind of a critical age. ... They’re old enough to understand the meaning of Christmas.”
Each of the last two years that it’s done Toys for Tots, AIS has collected more than 400 items.
Toys for Tots, founded in 1947, is a program directed by the Marine Corps Reserve and supported by the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Local campaigns are conducted in more than 700 communities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, according to the organization’s website.