Volunteers fill Santa Sacks with toys during the 2021 Great Nanaimo Toy Drive, collected from 22 sites around the community. (Great Nanaimo Toy Drive)

By Jordan Davidson

community generosity

Great Nanaimo Toy Drive another rousing success with 500+ families helped

Dec 17, 2021 | 3:39 PM

NANAIMO – The good people at the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive are celebrating a monumental year.

They spent all this week collecting toys and building their “Santa Sacks”, with the final bag of goodies being distributed on Thursday, Dec. 16.

While the final numbers won’t be determined until January, Carolyn Iles, communications director for the toy drive, said the generosity of the community never ceases to amaze her.

“We helped 500 families in our community and that’s about 1,200 children. It’s much more than we had before COVID hit. Last year was a lower number but we’re creeping up. The generosity of our community is something that’s absolutely gobsmacking.”

An overview of all the Santa Sacks packed and ready to be handed out at the toy drive distribution centre. (Nanaimo Toy Drive)

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Illes said there were so many monetary donations made this year they were able to give each family an additional gift card to local businesses.

In addition to a steady stream of donated cash, toys piled up at 22 locations across the community, which were picked up by the toy drive crew.

20 shopping carts filled with gifts to put smiles on children’s faces were dropped off from the north Nanaimo Save-on-Foods locations alone.

Multiple shopping carts worth of stuff were collected from the Save-On-Foods location in north Nanaimo. (Great Nanaimo Toy Drive)

Iles said it’s hard to compare the success of this year to last year, as public health restrictions last time prevented a lot of people from going out and buying toys.

“I would say that we made more children and families happy this year than last year… We have fun as a group of volunteers as we work together and try to support our community.”

She said they had to turn away some volunteers away this year.

While the Toy Drive is officially done for 2021, anyone who still wishes to make a donation can do so, and they will be held in storage until the 2022 edition of the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow