ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Saturday, local organizations came together to collect donations for Toys for Tots in Delta and Menominee Counties.
Marine Corps Detachment 444 kicked off this year’s Toys for Tots campaign at the annual Fall Family Fun Day at the U.P. State Fairgrounds Antique Village. The only admission fee was a donation of cash or an unwrapped toy.
Families toured the Antique Village, rode on a hay wagon, and enjoyed food from the Cook Shack. Older kids explored the Spook House, while younger kids enjoyed the main event—Touch a Truck.
Local police and fire departments and other community organizations parked their vehicles throughout the fairgrounds. Kids were able to sit in the driver’s seat and see some of the equipment in each one. Many gave kids candy and coloring books before they left for the next truck.
According to Brian Nelson, Chief of the Ford River Volunteer Fire Department, Fall Family Fun Day provides a laid-back environment where the public to interact with their local officials.
“We always look for opportunities to interact with the kids on a level like this, rather than being at an event like a housefire or something like that where it’s tragic for them,” Nelson said. “It’s something to let them know that we’re normal people and they can not be afraid of us.”
Last year, Toys for Tots distributed toys to more than 2,000 children in Delta and Menominee Counties. Nelson says the Ford River Volunteer Fire Department is always excited to help such an important cause.
“We love to be able to get out and help the community,” he said. “The community has been great supporting the fire department over the years, being volunteers, so we look at events like this as a way to give back to them too and help them out.”
For information on other ways to support Toys for Tots in Delta and Menominee Counties, click here. With many fire departments in need of volunteers, Nelson encourages anyone interested to contact their local department.
