Donations to the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund often arrive in honor of a family member or close friend, or in lieu of Christmas cards or family gifts.

For the second year in a row, 6-year-old Amelia Odlin sent hers in honor of her school bus driver, Mike Lavallee.

Amelia is a first-grader at Blue Point School in Scarborough, and she belongs to a family that has been a regular supporter of the fund. So when it came time to decide what to give to her favorite bus driver at the holidays, Amelia made a $25 donation to the fund in his honor.

“Mike Lavallee is such a wonderful, kind man,” said Maria Odlin, Amelia’s mother. “He’s very good with little kids. It must be a challenging job.”

Last year, Amelia made a card for Lavallee and put in a note about the donation in his honor before handing it to him as she got on the bus. She plans to do it again this year.

It’s a good lesson, as well as a fitting gift, her mother said.

“We’ve explained to her that sometimes children’s parents get sick or they don’t have quite enough money to buy presents and so this helps them,” Maria Odlin said. “We’re extremely fortunate and there are a lot of kids out there who aren’t.”

The Portland Press Herald Toy Fund in the Spirit of Bruce Roberts is using donations from readers to provide toys to thousands of Maine children who might otherwise not receive holiday gifts because of hardships faced by their parents.

The fund – now in its 67th year – is accepting applications for toys from needy families in Cumberland, York, Sagadahoc, Lincoln and Knox counties.

Applications can be downloaded at pressheraldtoyfund.org.

Call 791-6672 to have one mailed to you.

Donations to help buy the toys can be made on the website or by writing checks to the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund and mailing them to the fund at P.O. Box 7310, Portland, ME 04112.

SUNDAY’S DONORS

Lorraine Pregenzer…………$100

Merry Christmas from Frank and Deb Pecoraro……….$1,000

Irene Mulkern…………………..$100

In memory of Paul J. White……………………$100

From Bonnie & Blair…………$25

In memory of L. Philip Bernier……………….$100

In memory of my husband, Pete – Angela Plummer…..$50

Peter Cinelli…$100

In memory of Blanche and Fernald Goulette………………$50

The Goforths…………………….$50

Anonymous………………………$50

In loving memory of Linda Jellerson Mills……………………$50

In memory of Bebe and Peter………………………………..…$20

Peter and Caitlin Kane..…$100

Joan Moore…………………….…$50

Joseph Fagone…………………$50

In memory of Joseph Chaisson, who always gave to the fund………………………..$40

From Donna and Vic…….…$20

In memory of Beverly & Virgil Plaisted and Louis Peters……………………………….$100

Merry Christmas! Florence Moreau…………………………….…$50

In memory of Stanley and Violet Oliver………………………$50

Michael Frost………………..…$100

In memory of Jim and Janice Owen……..$50

In memory of Maynard Dow………………….$100

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas – Jeff & Darlene Rogers……………………………….$50

In memory of those no longer with us – Bernie & Barry…………………………………..$50

Nextera Energy Resources Employees……………………..$400

A little bit to help, from Chopper……………………$30

In loving memory of Karl and Georgia Sutherland………..$100

Merry Christmas – The Putnam family, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren…………………$350

From the Dental Office…$250

Southern Maine Labor Council………………………….…$250

In loving memory of Dorothy Legassie and Linda Miller from their family……………$300

In memory of Daniel Josephs. Happy 21st birthday to our angel. Forever missed – Love, Dad, Mom, Katie, Bethany, Megan & Hannah………………$20

In memory of my grandson Parker Doucette……………….$20

In lieu of Christmas cards – Merry Christmas to all! Gerry Campbell and Karen Lougee………………………………$50

The Koocher family………..$100

John & Lynda Wilson………$50

John Freeman…………………$100

In memory of a Mother’s Love………………………………….$100

Because every child deserves to have a present under the tree – The Harpers…………$100

Anonymous……………………..$150

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a great 2017. In loving memory of my wonderful parents, Duke & Gaby, from Suzanne………..$50

Jamie Duncan………………..…$20

Merry Christmas, Love Michael & Linda Gower……$20

Total to date……..$68,583.60

For more information and to donate online, go to:

pressheraldtoyfund.org

See more stories about the fund at

pressherald.com

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