Toys for Tots drive a resounding success

MONTICELLO, NY — Monticello Gaming & Raceway amassed over 1,900 toys during the course of its seven-day Toys for Tots drive ending on Friday, December 14.

“The demand for this program in Sullivan County is the highest it’s ever been,” said John Rymer, commandant of the Department of New York Marine Corp. League, who joined others at the facility to collect the unwrapped toys and a check for $1,374 payable to the Toys for Tots Foundation. “Thanks to everyone who donated, and to Monticello Gaming & Raceway for hosting this much-needed drive. It will make a big difference to Sullivan County’s children in need.”

More than half of the drive’s collection took place at ThunderBlast, a country music concert hosted by Thunder 102 at Monticello Gaming & Raceway. The concert featured local favorites Somerville, The Carl Richards Band, River’s Edge, Joanna Dutcher and Trista Wheaton. Entry into the concert was at least one unwrapped toy, netting the drive more than 1,200 toys.

Other toys were collected over the past several weeks at the facility’s drop boxes distributed throughout the gaming floor. The $1,374 in cash was collected through various sources, including customers and employees of Monticello Gaming & Raceway.

On Friday, Rymer and his wife Sonia collected the toys so that they could be sorted by age and gender. On Christmas, the toys were distributed by local social welfare agencies, church groups and other local community agencies to less fortunate children in Sullivan County.