On-air personalities from B-100 and CIFM collected hundreds of toys for Christmas Amalgamated on Wednesday (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

B-100 TOY HOUSES

Donations to toy houses meet need at Christmas Amalgamated, food for hampers still needed

Dec 18, 2019 | 4:38 PM

KAMLOOPS — For more than 20 years, B-100 has set up toy houses in the city. Thousands of toys for underprivileged children and teenagers have been collected during the last two decades with all the gifts going to Christmas Amalgamated.

On Wednesday, there was an overwhelming amount of toys at Aberdeen Mall, as the crew from B-100 and CIFM collected the haul from this year’s toy houses. There were so many toys, they took over a section of the mall.

“Oh my goodness, it’s just amazing just to be able to see how the community gives,” said on-air personality Kayla Derkach. “For us to be able to give back, and personally to be able to give my time this holiday season. This is very near and dear to my heart.”

The toys will be distributed to less fortunate children in Kamloops who otherwise may not receive anything under the tree on Christmas morning. The volunteers were enamored at the gifts donated this year.

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“I couldn’t believe it. I almost wanted to be like ‘oh my gosh, I need to scoop some of these or go shopping.’ I want to know where picked everything up in the mall here because, first off, the cozy reading socks, I want a pair,” exclaimed Derkach at Aberdeen Mall.

The two trolleys full of toys left the station were taken across the city to their next home, Christmas Amalgamated. Some of the toys will be utilized this holiday season.

“This is something that is so tremendous,” said Christmas Amalgamated’s Sally Whitson. “We’ve had other toy campaigns, but nothing compares to the amount of stuff that comes in here from the toy houses.”

The haul of toys sets up Christmas Amalgamated for not only this year, but there’s enough to give the organization a head start for next year. The variety of toys is appreciated as well.

“That is one thing about the toy houses. They’re never really pegged for one age because a lot of the people who do go shopping, they shop for something that they would get their own child,” noted Whitson.

Whitson says Christmas Amalgamated is set for toys. She says it’s short of food donations for Christmas dinners.

“We have a suggested list — potatoes and vegetables, then of course the apples and oranges and the candy.”

With a shortage of food, Whitson has bought some Christmas dinner supplies with donations. She hopes the community can help out once again to fill the hampers for another holiday season.