Santa Claus is coming to city — the City of Oyster Bay, that’s.
Residents within the Lengthy Island neighborhood are on a mission to host the municipality’s largest-ever toy drive and donate greater than 50,000 vacation items to youngsters in want this season, constructing on half a decade of excellent tidings.
“The individuals listed here are so beneficiant. We did 19,000 toys in 2020, then 25,000 the subsequent 12 months, then 34,000, then 38,000, and final 12 months was 42,000,” City Supervisor Joseph Saladino advised The Publish.
“This 12 months, Santa will want a much bigger sleigh. We wish to hit that fifty,000 quantity for the primary time,” he mentioned.
The Toys For Tots-partnered donation occasion shall be held Dec. 6 at Massapequa’s Burns Park from 10 a.m. to three p.m. and consists of hours of enjoyable for youths, plus a go to from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Huge turnout from the previous 5 years was a silver lining of the pandemic, because the city used to gather solely a median of 4,000 items a 12 months at its workplaces and buildings in 2019 and earlier than.
Issues modified when COVID pressured social distancing, and the park in Massapequa was changed into a drive-through toy depot. The brand new format initially noticed nearly 5 occasions the standard quantity, and phrase caught like wildfire within the space.
“That is the one optimistic out of that point,” Saladino mentioned.
“If not for the pandemic, we by no means would have had this concept, and so many youngsters wouldn’t have had smiles on Christmas morning.”
The occasion rapidly turned a joyful vacation custom, as high-school groups routinely stopped by in uniform to drop off items and cheer.
Adults started recruiting everybody of their social circles to do the identical.
“There was one man in three bowling leagues who acquired nearly all of his friends to donate,” mentioned City of Oyster Bay Director of Operations Andrew Rothstein, who runs the drive.
“Annually, he fills his crimson pickup truck with extra toys than the season prior.”
Troves of native car-collector teams and motorbike golf equipment have made it a ceremony of passage to contribute as properly.
“One other individual drops off 5 or 6 bicycles on their very own simply because,” Rothstein mentioned.
“It’s superb how a lot individuals wish to give.”
Checking it twice
That is the primary time the city has turned the drive right into a numbers sport, as locals have change into excited by an opportunity to hit the magic 50,000 for the primary time.
“It will likely be powerful, however I feel we will do it. Increasingly individuals wish to assist,” mentioned Nassau resident Frank Yao, who has been generously donating for the previous three years since listening to in regards to the popularized occasion.
“I’ve seen this develop 12 months by 12 months. I maintain listening to extra individuals speaking about how significant it’s to be a part of.”
These trying to donate ought to carry unwrapped items with them to the park, in line with Rothstein.
He added that Nerf weapons, dolls, Lego units, stuffed animals and board video games are among the many hottest gadgets to come back in over time and are a very good suggestion for first-timers.
The all-day occasion has one other memorable second for a lot of pandemic-born toddlers, as they’re invited to stroll up on stage and hand their Christmas letters to Santa.
“For lots of youngsters, this has been the primary time they ever met Santa, really,” Rothstein mentioned.
“And so many kids come and wish to donate purchased toys on behalf of their households. You actually see what the vacations are all about right here.”
