’Tis the season for holiday gatherings and parties and parades ushering in holiday cheer.
Pittston City held their Christmas event by holding a Christmas Market, Toy Truck parade, the arrival of Santa Claus and the tree lighting.
It’s safe to say a few thousand people joined in on the holiday scene on Saturday, Dec. 2.
West Pittston Santa parade was canceled due inclement weather, and I’m told the borough may have an evening with Santa at the municipal building at some point.
The Santa Squad has been doing yeoman’s work at the former Seton Catholic gym, now the headquarters for the Squad where the entire gym floor were filled with donated and purchased toys, board games, bicycles and clothing were bagged and ready for pick up, which took place yesterday.
The numbers are huge, and it’s scary thinking how many families are in need for financial help to ensure their children have a good Christmas. If it were up to Santa Squad founder, every child in Greater Pittston would have toys for Christmas.
In the Santa Squad’s case, each child doesn’t get just one present, they get five.
Those children wanting a bicycle also receive a few board games, but if you didn’t want a bike, five of your gift wishes would be fulfilled. I think that’s pretty great.
I was telling Tony Marranca when I put out a Christmas list for Santa; it never matched up with what I got for Christmas. It was actually surprising when I did get what I wanted.
The big surprise for the week was a huge financial boost from Mohegan Pennsylvania casino. They donated a nice check for $10,000 to help local children and to give some spending capital for the Santa Squad getting a leg up for next year’s campaign.
After outgrowing several locations to store toys and prepare for a Christmas campaign, the Santa Squad stumbled across the old Seton Catholic gym. Father Elston decided to rent the building to the Santa Squad so now they have a home and they won’t outgrow it too soon, although that would be a good problem.
Last Christmas was the first year they used the gym and when I walked in this year, there was a better, more organized system in place.
Even though the organization improved, the end result was pretty much the same … By the end of the donation phase and filling out wish lists, the gym floor was pretty much covered with bags of toys and bicycles.
I stopped by last week and took a video and posted it on Facebook to show all the good work the Greater Pittston Santa Squad had been accomplishing.
In just a few days, that video had over 630 views with nearly 160 comments.
Someone stopped me and said, “Aren’t they taking away from the Toys for Tots program?” Honestly, I don’t know and I don’t know what the Marines do with their toys. Maybe they stay locally or maybe they don’t.
The key is, the toys gathered by the Santa Squad stay right here in Greater Pittston. In the past, if their was a larger than most toy donation, other under privileged children outside Greater Pittston received toys.
Whether children are getting toys from Toys for Tots or the Santa Squad is all good for everyone. It’s a win-win situation.
I know the Santa Squad has nothing against Toys for Tots, but they know everything collected is staying right here at home where it’s needed.
Let’s remember the reason why the Santa Squad was conceived, they were filling in a huge void for the now defunct West Pittston Salvation Army who lost two of their tree kettle bell-ringing supporters and were why behind on shopping for toys for their Angel List kids. If I’m not mistaking, that number was between 300 and 400 children.
When the Santa Squad was formed, it was to help the local Salvation Army to help local children.
So with that in mind, all donations made to children are right here.
The Santa Squad does not give toys to just everyone. There has to be proof of need in order for their child to be put on the list for toys.
Each year the Squad’s board of directors tweaks things to make the organization move smoother, and it has been becoming a well-oiled machine. Each year getting better and better and serving more and more each year.
I’m not sure if they will ever have a cut off of numbers to serve if it gets any larger, but in a way I hope not and that’s easy for me to say because I’m not at the gym each night collecting, scanning in items, bagging and finally distributing the toys.
I’ve been there, as I said and these volunteers are working hard for our children.
Board member Gary Worosilla personally puts all the bikes together and his hands get all beat up in doing so.
After Christmas, when the dust clears, they will take stock of how the 2023 Christmas campaign ended and see what will need to happen for 2024.
It won’t be long now.
Quote of the Week
“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service… To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” – Oren Arnold
Thought of the Week
“Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.: – Calvin Coolidge
Bumper Sticker
“Christmas is anticipation for the children; it is memory for most adults.” – Eric Sevareid
