Labour of love

Bob Vander Ploeg says every child deserves to find a present under the Christmas tree.

Once again Thunder Bay firefighters are bound and determined to ensure it happens, on Tuesday launching the annual Toys for Tots campaign.

Last year the charity raised $132,000 for the cause, money that was used to purchase new toys and were distributed through the annual Christmas Cheer. Vander Ploeg called it a labour of love for firefighters, who volunteer their free time to take donations at their booth adjacent to the food court at Intercity Shopping Centre.

"We couldn’t do it without Christmas Cheer. In fact Toys for Tots began as a response to the fact that Christmas Cheer was providing hampers of food for people at Christmastime. At the time it was thought there were children living with these families and as firefighters we thought there was something we could do to make the hamper even a little more interesting."

It’s also a natural fit, he said.

"Firefighters, we’re about helping people, whether there’s a car accident or somebody’s sick at home, or obviously if there’s a fire or some kind of rescue situation. It’s just an extension of the work that we do. That work we get paid to do, this work we do because we want to do," Vander Ploeg said.

Toys for Tots began in the 1950s, when firefighters would take in old toys, make any necessary repairs and carry them along on their Christmas parade float to give away at the armouries.

Since 1973, when records were first kept, the charity has raised more than $2 million, and they’re hoping to add to it significantly again in 2010.

"We’re asking for people to make a donation, cash or cheque. We’ll use that money to buy gifts for kids at Christmas, up to age 16. The reason we’re looking for money, as opposed to actual donations of toys, is we’d like to equalize the value of gifts that are given to different children who live in the same neighbourhood and to balance the distribution between gifts that are acceptable for boys and girls and different age groups," Vander Ploeg said.

He has no set goal.

Vander Ploeg said it’s set up this way to avoid disappointment. While firefighters strive each year to out do the total of the previous year, no matter what they raise they feel like it’s a success story.

"If we raise $131,000 instead of $132,000, I would think that was fantastic. If we make a dollar more than what we made last year, that would be as close to setting a goal as I would like to come, because we’ve never really done it," he said.

"Obviously we emphasize we want people to give according to their comfort level. There’s no such thing as a small donation."

To jump-start the campaign local Tim Hortons outlets are selling special $1 smile cookies this week. Proceeds of the sale of the cookies will be donated to Toys for Tots. Last year they raised $22,000 in Thunder Bay.

"We are thrilled to support the firefighters Toys for Tots," said owner Christine Youngs, who spoke on behalf of all franchise owners in the city. "The success of the Smile Cookie fundraiser is truly a combined community effort."