JENKINS TWP. — Until fall 2018, Christmas came around once a year for Anthony Marranca, of Pittston. Now, it’s Christmas every day.
And the Pittston Township Firefighters Association is helping Marranca feel that way. This year, proceeds from the firefighters’ annual softball tournament will benefit Marranca’s Greater Pittston Santa Squad.
While having a conversation on the way to work with his neighbor and good friend Reba Emil in late 2018, Emil told Marranca how the West Pittston toys for Christmas campaign was suffering a deficiency for Christmas that year. Emil was not only a longtime member of the Salvation Army Church, but also a faithful volunteer.
Marranca felt the need to help so when he organized the yearly Turkey Bowl football game over Thanksgiving behind Pittston Area High School, he asked all participants to bring a toy to be donated to the West Pittston Salvation Army.
As word spread among the competitors, Marranca was overwhelmed with the amount of toys dropped off on game day. Eventually, with the help of his friends and the kindness of the people in greater Pittston, Marranca and his friends delivered three truckloads of 445 toys, clothes and money to Lts. Gavin and Holly Yeatts, West Pittston Salvation Army Corps officers.
“It was a blessing to us last year; we were totally amazed what they did in a short time,” Emil said. “I told Tony on the way to driving him to work that I didn’t think we were going to have enough toys for the kids for Christmas. It really was amazing.”
When Marranca, who was honored as the 2018 Sunday Dispatch Greater Pittston Person of the Year, realized the impact he and others had on making a child’s Christmas happy, he decided to form the Greater Pittston Santa Squad.
Marranca consulted area 501(c)(3) fundraising foundations to see what was necessary to legitimize the Santa Squad.
“We are in the process of filing to become a nonprofit and we are ready to go,” he said. “Tony’s (Ranieli) tournament has given us birth, and we will use this money from the tournament for filing fees. And he literally give us the footing to be an official charity. We can’t thank Tony enough.”
Ranieli, Pittston Township Firefighters Association president, took part in Marranca’s Turkey Bowl game in 2018 and, when planning 2019’s third annual softball tournament, decided the Greater Pittston Santa Squad would be the benefactor of the tournament.
According to Ranieli, all entry fees and raffle basket profits go towards the Greater Pittston Santa Squad while the concession stand profits will stay with the Jenkins Township Little League.
This year’s tournament involved 15 teams — 10 in the competitive bracket and five in the emergency services bracket.
“It’s a great organization and a great cause, Ranieli said. “We are just thankful to the Jenkins Township Little League for hosting the event; we’re thankful to the Pittston Santa Squad for their contribution and we just appreciate everyone’s involvement along with all the teams.”
Ranieli said they will donate $2,100 to the Greater Pittston Santa Squad and Marranca said that number will rise with the success of the sale of raffle tickets from the basket sale.
“Their donation to us will be $2,100 and we had some amazing baskets donated, some gift certificates, some baked goods and we’re hoping to piggyback on what the firefighters have raised and make a decent amount on our own,” Marranca said.
