Fire Department Toy Drive Helps Kids

Little Madison Podurgiel was watching television with her family when she came upon a disheartening realization during the holiday season.

A commercial from the Marine’s Toys for Tots campaign showed the need for donations so less fortunate children could have a nice Christmas.

“You mean there’s kids who don’t have toys for Christmas?” Madison asked her mom. “We have to do something about that.”

So 6-year-old Madison told her mother, Renee, who is also the secretary and an EMT for the , that she wanted to help other children. Now the entire fire department is organizing a toy donation over the next few weeks to help underprivileged kids.

“We were looking at doing this next year, but (after Madison’s suggestion) we put everything into high gear this year,” said Nate Jackson, who is the fire department’s assistant operations director.

The fire department discussed the drive during their dinner the night before Thanksgiving, and decided to organize a big toy drive at the fire house and with local businesses along Route 50.

Jackson said people now can start donating toys by dropping them off at boxes place around the , and .  People can also bring new, unwrapped toys to the fire department off the Vanadium Road garage bay every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, the big toy drive will be Dec. 10 and 11 at the when the firefighters and EMTs try to fill four ambulances with toys. Jackson said children will have plenty of chances to get photos with the firefighters and EMTs.

All of the toys will be brought to the nearest Marines barracks in North Versailles. For more information about the Kirwan Heights Fire Department’s toy drive, go to  www.toysfortots.kirwanfire.com, or call 412-221-8382 and dial 1.

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