Police collect more than 660 gifts, cash
Published: December 20, 2005
Mark and Nancy Juhola of Brooklyn used the Danielson state police toy drive for the Norwich Bulletin’s Tommy Toy Fund Saturday to teach their twin 1 1/2-year-old daughters a lesson about sharing.
Shaylin and Megan Juhola delivered several toys, including trucks and stuffed animals, and some “Clifford the Big Red Dog” books to Trooper Michael Robinson, who stood in front of the barracks with Santa Claus helping to stuff a pickup and two police vehicles full of toys during the daylong collection.
“We learned we have to give toys to Santa so he can deliver them to children who aren’t as fortunate as we are,” the girls’ father, who is a state trooper, explained in describing the lesson he and his wife provided for the girls.
Dozens of people pulled into the Troop D parking lot to drop off more than 660 gifts and $340 in cash that will be used by the Tommy Toy Fund to help brighten Christmas for children from needy families in Windham County.
State police dispatcher Rick Reichel, for the fifth year, dressed as Santa and spent the chilly day greeting donors and waving to passing motorists, many of whom honked their horns.
Excited shouts of, “Hi, Santa,” could be heard from youngsters as they rode by the barracks.
One donor, Reichel said, arrived with her own car filled with 90 toys for the toy fund.
“She said she wanted to fill a cruiser all by herself,” Reichel said. “She almost succeeded. She had so many toys that two friends who accompanied her had to drive here in a separate car.”
Reichel said he is amazed each year by the willingness of people to help those less fortunate through activities such as the Tommy Toy Fund.
“Some families, like the Juholas, use the occasion to teach their kids about sharing,” he said. “Then you have the senior citizens who stop by because their own children or grandchildren are grown and they don’t have any more children to buy presents for so they contribute to the toy fund.”
Mary Main of Sterling dropped off two bags of gifts when she and her friend, Bob Beauchemin, also of Sterling, stopped at Troop D.
“It’s really important to be able to help,” she said. “I’m lucky, I have a good job, and it’s important to me to be able to give back to others in the community.”
Main said she contributes to a toy drive where she works in Rhode Island, but felt the need to contribute to the Tommy Toy Fund because “this is helping people at home.”
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