The annual “Fill the Boat” toy drive event in Montgomery County, Maryland, is shifting its focus this year to aid the community of Ashe County, North Carolina, which was affected by Hurricane Helene. The event is organized by Tidewater Disaster Response, a nonprofit organization, in partnership with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue and Police. The toy drive will take place on Saturday at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg, Maryland, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The goal is to collect new, unwrapped toys for children aged five to 16, with a target of 550 toys or more to help the over 550 kids in need in Ashe County.
The event will feature activities for children, including the opportunity to interact with fire trucks, a search and rescue boat, and other emergency response vehicles. Volunteers will then deliver the collected toys to Ashe County, where partner charities will distribute them to children in need. Organizers are asking for donations of toys such as LEGOS, Hot Wheels cars, Barbie dolls, and coloring books.
In previous years, the event has collected up to 412 toys in a single drive, and this year, they are aiming to surpass that number to help more children in Ashe County. The toys will be delivered in Santa bags for the kids. Those interested in donating can bring new and unwrapped toys to the event location on Saturday to help bring joy to children in North Carolina who have been affected by the hurricane.
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