Warren County Rescue Squad members and their kids, along with other local volunteers, gathered Saturday to distribute toys boxes to smiling children and their families through their annual Christmas Toy Drive.
Rescue Squad director Fred Hillis said the event was a great success.
“It’s gone well, really well,” Hillis said. “We’ve had between 750 and 800 families.”
Hillis said Rescue Squad members appreciate everyone who has helped and donated to the project this year.
‘We want to thank them very much, because if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Hillis said. “I really want to thank the businesses that donated, the churches, all the people who gave us money so we could go shop and buy all the toys for these kids.”
Hillis said the organization has been doing the Toy Drive for 42 years, ever since Bob Molloy spearheaded the first one.
“Bob Malloy got this thing started years and years ago after he saw on TV where some firemen had gotten together and done something like this,” said Hillis. “Bob said, ‘Why couldn’t we do that here in Warren County?’ We started out with just a very few, 100 was too many for us then, but now we’ve been up to 1,500 some years.”
Japheth Woodlee, the 12-year-old son of new Rescue Squad member Damon Woodlee, spent his Saturday afternoon loading boxes of toys and said he was having fun doing it.
“I’m just chilling out with my dad and his friends from the Rescue Squad,” said Japheth, “getting out of the house and doing some pretty cool stuff.”
The Rescue Squad also got some volunteer help from local military veterans. Casper Mullikin, commandant of the newly formed Bobby Ray detachment of the Marine Corps League, and girlfriend Angie Weatherford, were on hand to help out.
“I wanted the detachment to do something,” Mullikin said. “I think I had about four maybe five members here at different times. I think it’s important for all veterans to help them and support them. We love doing this for the kids.”
Weatherford, who is also involved with the Bobby Ray detachment, agreed.
“Every kid deserves a Christmas,” Weatherford said.