Memorial Trooper Hill Toy Drive in full swing
Published 8:36 am Friday, December 4, 2009
Volunteers with the Trooper Hill Toy Drive are working to collect toys and clothing to make sure that hundreds of underprivileged children in Franklin and Southampton County have a Merry Christmas.
This is the fourth year that volunteers have held the toy drive, named for the late State Police Trooper Robert Hill, Sr. They’re currently accepting donations of clothing and toys for children up to 12 years old. In the past, the group has had some difficulty securing donations for the older children. Only new toys are collected, and it’s best that toys be unwrapped.
Donations can be dropped off at Food Lion locations in Franklin and Courtland, Franklin High School, Southampton High School, Southampton Middle School, Meherrin Elementary School, Riverdale Elementary School and Curves for Women in Franklin.
Donations will be accepted until Dec. 7.
Monetary donations can be made to the toy drive at any Bronco Federal Credit Union location.
“The Trooper Hill Toy Drive has expanded greatly this year,” said Program Administrator Michelle Buchanan.
She said the toy drive has teamed up with the Salvation Army in hopes of serving more than 600 children this year.
Buchanan said Wednesday that donations had been slow, but she expected the pace to pick up heading into the toy drive’s last weekend.
Buchanan said clothing and toys would be distributed next week.
Trooper Hill was issuing a summons to a stopped motorist in Southampton County, when he was struck and killed by a passing vehicle in 2006. Hill had been a trooper for 19 years.
According to organizers, the toy drive is a nonprofit organization “with the mission of continuing the legacy of giving that Senior Trooper Robert Hill, Sr. displayed throughout his life in providing underprivileged children with toys and clothing for Christmas.
“Giving toys to a child during the holidays is a very rewarding experience for us and we appreciate your efforts to make this holiday season a little brighter for children who would otherwise have very little,” organizers wrote in a press release.
