toy drive

Press Release:

The Batavia Notre Dame Girls Basketball teams are sponsoring a toy drive for Golisano Children's Hospital.

Toys have been donated by all Notre Dame staff and students to "Give Back." The toys are given to children spending their holidays in the hospital, and additional toys are used for the playrooms.

If you would like to donate to The Golisano Children's Hospital, contact Wendy Lane at 585-275-3028 or email wendy_lane@urmc.rochester.edu. 

Submitted photo

Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jordan Alejandro donned a raincoat Saturday for a wet, windy Stuff the Cruiser drive as part of a larger law enforcement effort that involves Genesee County Probation Department, City of Batavia Police Department, New York State Police and Department of Environmental Conservation, and Genesee County Department of Social Services.

The collection is for new toys, clothing, small denominations of gift cards, personal care gift sets, hats/gloves and accessories, and non-perishable food items, to be distributed to children and families in need this holiday season.

The drive goes to 3 p.m. today in front of Target and Kohl's in Batavia.

Top Photo of Deputy Jordan Alejandro with the cruiser; and passing out lists of needed items to shoppers. Photos by Howard Owens.

WBTA, Ken Barrett Chevrolet, the Salvation Army, and City Fire teamed up today for the radio station's annual toy drive.  Area residents were invited to drop by the dealership to leave new, unwrapped presents for children in the community.

Top Photo: Lorne Way, WBTA, Ken Barrett, Lt. Jamie Call, Firefighter Ferdinando Papalia, Todd Rapp, Salvation Army, and Nici Johnson, WBTA.

Press release:

Doctors Tom Mazurkiewicz and Noah Hoy are sponsoring the Annual Toy Drive at their 184 Washington Ave. office.

Bring a new, unwrapped toy to receive a complimentary adjustment during your next scheduled visit. This offer applies to new patients, as well. We are accepting donations through Dec. 17. Limit of one complimentary visit per patient.

All donations will benefit the local families of Genesee County who would otherwise not be able to receive a gift this Holiday due to economic hardship. Your generosity will provide a happier holiday for the families of these deserving children.

Thank you for your continued support during this holiday season.

City firefighters Ryan Clair and Ryan Whitcomb collect toys from a car at Ken Barrett Chevrolet Cadillac today as part of the annual Salvation Army toy drive sponsored by Ken Barrett and WBTA.

To comply with CDC guidelines related to COVID-19, this year's toy drive was a drive-thru affair. By early afternoon, the beds of multiple pickups had been filled and ready to take to a local hub to prepare the toys for distribution to children in Genesee County.

(Submitted photo: Above, Tom Mazurkiewicz, left, with City Church's Ryan Macdonald.) 

Chiropractor Tom Mazurkiewicz continues the tradition of Don Carroll, collecting toys for local children at his practice on Washington Avenue in the City of Batavia.

During business hours between now and end of the day Monday, Dec. 16, donors are welcome to bring unwrapped toys for ages 2 through 15. On Saturday, Dec. 14, Mazurkiewicz is offering free complementary adjustments with any toy donation between 7 and 10 a.m. Refreshments will be served.

Mazurkiewicz is partnering with City Church at T.F. Brown's Restaurant, so the toy donations will go to both places for distribution to local children at these respective events:

• City Church will donate toys at its Christmas party on Dec. 17;
• T.F. Brown's will donate toys at its Christmas party Dec. 19.

Clients of Arc of Genesee Orleans dropped off bags full of gifts today for annual WBTA toy drive at Ken Barrett's Chevrolet and Cadillac, which benefits local children through the Salvation Army.

Among the other large donations to come in this morning was seven bags of toys from the employees of Oatka Milk Products in Batavia.

WBTA co-owner Dan Fischer said that by 11 a.m. it looked like as many toys had come in so far as had been received by the end of the day last year.

The toy drive runs until 4 p.m., so plenty of time as of this posting (at 1 p.m.) for you to run down to Adam Miller and load up on toys to donate to the Salvation Army for local children who might otherwise receive little or nothing for Christmas.

Note about the videos below: The audio quality is not great. We have hardware coming by next week that will fix this for future videos.

Press release:

Come join The Salvation Army for the 35^th annual WBTA and Ken Barrett Chevrolet Toy Drive from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14^th.

This toy drive, held at the car dealership on West Main Street in Batavia, will enable us to help those less fortunate in our community.

Throughout the years, Ken Barrett and WBTA have partnered with us to make our Christmas efforts a success.

What a privilege it is to work side by side with these businesses to make Christmas dreams come true for the less fortunate in Genesee County. To date we have 375 youth registered in our program. Please donate the gift of hope for a child in need this season.

90 FOR 90 CHALLENGE -- The Salvation Army reaches midway point in Christmas Drive

The spirit of giving is alive and well in Genesee County. As people hurry to check items off their shopping list, decorate the tree and plan Christmas dinner menus, many may have overlooked the fact that today marks the halfway point of the Christmas shopping season.

Today also marks the midway point for The Salvation Army’s Christmas fundraiser. The proceeds raised each year fund assistance programs for impoverished local residents.

“We rely on this funding to carry us through the year in order to help those who are in need. All of the money raised stays in our area, so when you make a donation this Christmas, you are really creating change for your neighbors,” say Lt. Brad and Capt. Rachel Moore, commanding officers of the The Salvation Army locally.

“We are very grateful for the four local residents who took on the 90 for 90 challenge who have given us donations and we thank them for their kindness. We are still in need of $60,000 to reach our goal this year."

In Upstate New York, the majority of The Salvation Army’s funds are raised in November and December.

To learn how to help with The Salvation Army’s Christmas fundraising drive, please call (585) 343-6284.

To become a bell ringer, call us at 585-343-6284.

Clean Cut Barbershop in the City of Batavia is offering $5 off a haircut from Dec. 12-16 IF you donate a new, unwrapped toy or gift suitable for a child age 6 months to 16 years old.

The donations received will benefit the nonprofit Hillside Children's Center in Batavia (located at 50 City Centre).

Bring your donation to the city's newest barbershop at 466 Ellicott St.

Co-owner Joey Williams says the guys there are "always looking to spread love in the city and do positive things for kids."

The event that starts next Tuesday will add to their list of good deeds, which also includes giving away back-to-school supplies, breast cancer awareness month events, customer appreciation days and more.

"We want to make this event as big and impactful as possible," Williams says.

Donors once again filled the beds of two pickup trucks with toys for local children during the annual toy drive at Ken Barrett's Chevrolet in Batavia.  The drive his hosted every year by WBTA and benefits the Salvation Army. Pictured are Dan Fischer, owner of WBTA, and radio personality Wayne Fuller.

WBTA, Ken Barrett's and the Salvation Army teamed up once again this year for our community's annual toy drive today.

It's the 20th year the toy drive has been hosted at Ken Barrett's with WBTA providing the promotional push to help generate more than two truck loads worth of donations.

Firefighters from the City of Batavia were on hand to help accept donations.

The toys will be delivered by Santa to boys and girls throughout our community, making it a happier Christmas for many.

Firefighter Mike Dorgan and WBTA radio personality Nici Johnson.

WBTA's ad manager Lorne Way and Joan Stevens from the Salvation Army.

The beds of two pickups were filled with donated toys today for Santa to deliver to local boys and girls who might not otherwise get many presents under their trees, no matter how good they've been. The annual toy drive is sponsored by WBTA, Ken Barrett Chevy, the Salvation Army, the Batavia Fire Department and numerous local businesses.

Pictured are Tim Stengel, Art Smith, Corinne, Sarah, Colleen, James, Joan Stevens and Lt. Jeff Whitcombe.

Today at Ken Barrett's car dealership, the Salvation Army held its annual Christmas Toy Drive with the help of WBTA and the City Fire Department.

Sandy Konfederath, from Genesee ARC, arrives at Ken Barrett Chevrolet this morning with an armload of toys to donate to the annual toy drive sponsored by WBTA and several local businesses.  The toy drive continues until 4 p.m. today.