New Brunswick Folks: Donate Toys For Needy Children At Mike's Courtside Toy Drive Thanksgiving Eve

Stephanie Salardino says it is her own children who prompted her to act.

“I have little ones,” said Salardino, who lives in East Brunswick and has a beach home in Point Pleasant Beach, where she has spent summers since she was 4 years old.

“I see the joy on their faces when they open a gift,” she said. “Every child should have that happiness and joy during the holidays.”

Last year, Salardino set about making that belief a reality, organizing a toy drive on Thanksgiving Eve at the Idle Hour, with the toys then donated to families in need.

“The amount of toys that were donated was unbelievable,” she said, “The generosity of people for children and the holidays is truly amazing.”

Inspired by the response, Salardino has expanded her efforts and seven bars are participating this year, including the Idle Hour in Point Pleasant.

“It was really simple with just a few phone calls made to get bars on board with participating and sharing the info,” she said.

The toy drive is from 6 p.m. until midnight, and the toys collected are distributed within the bars’ local communities.

Here’s a list of bars participating this year, and where the toys are being distributed:

• Idle Hour (Point Pleasant) -- St. Gregory’s Pantry
• Crab’s Claw Inn (Lavallette) -- Faith Lutheran Church and local families
• Edgar’s Pub (Manasquan) -- local families
• Mike’s Courtside (New Brunswick) -- Elijah’s Promise
• North Brunswick Pub -- Salvation Army
• Golden Lion Inn (Milltown) -- Crisis Room @ Aldersgate
• Brownstone Bar & Grill (Metuchen) -- Pediatric Unit at JFK Hospital