Dunkin’ Donuts donation helps support program
Times might be tough, but during this holiday season, one organization is starting off strong.
Gunnery Sgt. Albert Roman announced the kick-off of the 2010 Toys for Tots campaign, which donates toys to thousands of children across the region, at the Glenville Marines Reserve Base on Friday, Oct. 1.
Eric Stensland, field marketing manager of Dunkin’ Donuts, presented the Toys for Tots Foundation with a $25,000 check to help purchase toys, and he announced a $5,000 donation to help purchase winter coats for this year’s initiative.
I want to thank everyone here today, especially Dunkin’ Donuts, for saving the Christmas train last year, said Roman, local organizer for the program. `Without their support, the train would have been derailed.`
Last year, the train faced the possibility of never leaving the station because the main donor from Wall Street said it couldn’t support the project anymore due to the recession. At the last minute, Dunkin’ Donuts came through with a $20,000 donation to the program to help purchase toys.
`I commend their work on behalf of all the children and families for underprivileged and underserved in poor communities throughout upstate New York,` said Stensland. `In 2009, I had the privilege to witness firsthand their unbelievable dedication to the Toys for Tots program and distribute the toys to families around the region. Needless to say the work of Gunnery Sgt. Roman and the Marines is truly inspirational.`
Even though the program received Dunkin’ Donuts’ donation, they are still asking the public to help, by donating new, unwrapped toys for children, from newborn to 12 years old. Roman said the age groups the program most needs donations for are 10-to-12-year-old boys and girls and 0-to-3-year-old boys and girls.
`Toys are expensive, they are not cheap, and you want to get these kids a nice toy for the holidays,` said Mark Bardack, spokesman for the program.
The train is sponsored by Canadian Pacific Railway, and will be called `The Dunkin’ Donuts Toys for Tots Train.` The toys will be distributed from the train on Dec. 4 and 5 to families throughout the region in 12 communities. The Marines will also deliver toys to various not-for-profit agencies to be distributed to needy families.
`We have a lot of empty shelves here that we have to fill in order to make this campaign as successful or even more successful than it was last year,` said Roman.
This year, people will be able to drop off toy donations to any of the 135 Dunkin’ Donuts stores throughout the region in addition to other locations, which can be found on the program’s
website
.
The coat drive is separate from Toys for Tots, but the outerwear will be distributed from the train as well. The South Colonie Central School District organizes the coat drive.
`We thank Dunkin’ Donuts for their kind donation to the kids in our area and certainly in upstate New York,` Jonathan Buhner, superintendent for South Colonie CSD. `The coats will go a long ways towards our efforts that our school bus drivers and transportation department’s goals.“
