For weeks you have been reading staff reports about all the reasons why you should support the annual Press Herald Toy Fund in the Spirit of Bruce Roberts. The work we do is amazing. It is magical. It is rewarding. It’s really hard. And it takes a village to make it all happen.

Thank you to the operating committee – a team of skilled professionals and Press Herald staff from every department including administration, digital, marketing, operations, sales and news. Their ideas and enthusiasm make it possible to not only order gifts through Maine-owned businesses, but also provide a new book for every child. They offer their skills and time to meet regularly, take on added tasks and publish daily stories for weeks leading up to and after Christmas.

Thank you to the staff – Kathleen Meade and Mary Cavallaro. Their seasonal presence comes with a holiday hustle that organizes and sorts all the toys, receives and reviews all the applications, monitors the donations, schedules the volunteers and supports social service groups and individuals as they pick up big red bags of toys. They have a deep understanding of why we do this work.

Thank you to our dedicated volunteers – 50 people strong. You’ve read the stories of Mary Lou Shuster (“Volunteer grew up rooting for the toy fund,” Dec. 3) and Theresa Labrecque (“Volunteer continues family legacy by spreading ‘a little joy,’ ” Dec. 20). Every volunteer has their own reason for spending valuable holiday prep time in our warehouse setting up, unpacking, repacking, sorting, picking, labeling and packaging toys for pick up. They stand outside in the cold waiting for the clients to drive up, and they carry handfuls of bags to be placed in vehicles. They spend hours upon hours making sure every toy is given out – and they do it with bells on (literally).

None of this work would be possible without 73 years of generosity from you – the donors. More than $180,000 has been raised in 2022. Thank you from all of us: the committee, the staff, the volunteers, the clients and the thousands of Maine kids who will feel the joy of the holidays because of you. The need in our community is real and each year you answer the call to honor your own experience or in honor of a loved one. We see it in your cards and notes, and in the lists we publish every day.

Every donation makes a difference, and we are grateful for each and every one. Thank you.

We are blessed to have a local newspaper looking out for our community every day. During the season of giving, it is a privilege to carry on this tradition and help to make it joyful and bright.

Stefanie Hirsch Manning is president of the Press Herald Toy Fund.

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