Oswego Fire Protection District Hosting Annual Toy Drive

The Oswego Fire Protection District is holding its sixth annual toy drive in their quest to ensure that every local child has a toy this holiday season. 

The OFPD, in conjunction with the Oswegoland Optimist Club and the Marine Corps Reserve, will collect new, unwrapped toys at all four of their fire station locations through Dec. 20. The toys will then be given to the Oswegoland Optimist Club to distribute through their Needy Family Christmas Project.

As tradition, the OFPD is also working with all District 308 junior high schools for a second toy drive that offers students the chance go be an elf for a day.

Lt. John Cornish explained that for each, unopened toy a student donates they would receive a raffle ticket. 10 students will be chosen total from the five junior highs to be an elf for a day.

What that means, is on Sunday, Dec. 16 the Oswego Fire Protection District will meet up with the chosen elves and the elves will help load all of the toys onto a fire engine.

Then, it's back to Fire Station One where the students will unload and sort all of the toys. Breakfast will then be served at the station, followed by a tour and a chance to relax. 

The toys will be given to the Oswegoland Optimist Club to distribute. The tentative deadline to donate toys at the junior highs is Friday, Dec. 14. 

Last year the , which was up from 2010's total of 1,912 toys.