SUNY Oswego Toy Drive to support local families

SUNY Oswego faculty, staff and students are getting into the spirit of giving this holiday season by participating in the college’s 29th annual Toy Drive.

The college works in conjunction with the Oswego County Department of Social Services to ensure that children from low-income families receive a present during the holiday season.

Trees decorated with paper ornaments adorn lobbies of many buildings on campus. On each ornament is the age and gender of a child in need, along with gift suggestions. Faculty, staff and students may choose an ornament, purchase an appropriate gift and return the ornament attached to the unwrapped gift in time for one of the two campus collection dates, Dec. 7 and 14.

The families will come to campus Dec. 18 to receive the toys during a distribution event in Swetman Gym.

Casey Walpole of Facilities Services, who has been involved since the Toy Drive’s inception, heads the effort. Each building on campus has at least one representative.

Cathy Johnston of the Provost’s Office, a Culkin Hall building representative, said her duties include setting up and decorating the tree, obtaining the list of children to put on the ornaments and collecting all of the gifts delivered to the building.

The Toy Drive committee is also looking for gently used coats, hats and mittens as well as holiday decorations to distribute to the families at the distribution event, Johnston said. Those wishing to make a monetary donation can send a check to the SUNY Oswego Toy Drive in care of Walpole in Room 303A of Park Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize that everyone isn’t as fortunate as you are,” Johnston said. “It is an opportunity to teach students and have them look out into the community.”

For more information, contact Walpole at casey.walpole@oswego.edu.