5,000 Toys Donated to Local Toys for Tots Drive

OSWEGO, IL — The Oswego Fire Protection District collected 5,176 toys during this year’s Toys for Tots drive, nearly a thousand more toys than what was collected in 2014. It also received 75 brand new bicycles.

In partnership with Oswego School District 308 junior high schools, the optimist club, the Marine Corps, local businesses and community members, the drive ended with a huge breakfast and toys being loaded for distribution.

Ten students from each school were selected to come to the fire station and be elves for the day. Several community members attended the event, along with family and friends of the winners.

In total, the OFPD and its partners fed just over 300 people that day.

In addition to the toys, Meijer, located at 2700 Rt. 34, donated $9,000 to the program.

“This amazing donation was used to purchase many of the bicycles and toys for this year,” a release from the OFPD said. “The Meijer Store had representatives at the breakfast and we presented them with a plaque recognizing them for their partnership and contributions to the program.”

The toys and bicycles were delivered to the Oswego Optimist Club for distribution to local families in need this year.