Wentworth, NC (October 1, 2021) – The Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office needs your help to give families in the hospital a holiday season to remember.
For the second year, firefighters in our county have organized a toy drive for the children and parents in the UNC Burn Center. Your donation will go straight to these families. Collection boxes will be set out beginning October 1 through the end of November at various locations across Rockingham County. Once the toys are sorted and packaged, a team of volunteers will drive the toys to the Burn Center in Chapel Hill where they will be picked up by hospital staff.
“We wanted a good organization to donate [the toys] to,” Assistant Fire Marshal, Melissa Joyce said when asked about starting up the project. Joyce explained Covid-19 cancelled her fire station’s annual Christmas party and they were left with a huge number of toys. “We were in the process of starting a Rockingham County Chapter of the NC Firefighters Burned Children Fund… So we decided to donate to the Burn Centers.”
These donations not only go to families during the holidays but also throughout the year. If a parent is hospitalized in the Burn Unit and can’t shop for their child’s birthday, that’s where these gifts come in. Below you will find a Wish List with items ranging from coloring books to inexpensive head phones. The Wish List also has personal hygiene items and clothing that can be gifted year-round. Event organizers ask that gifts be new and unopened, small in size and not violent in nature as in guns or knives.
The Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office has a goal to deliver these toys to the UNC Burn Center by the first week in December. A list of locations can be found below. Last year’s toy drive was a huge success with hundreds of toys donated. The Fire Marshal’s Office is hoping for the same, if not better, this year.
WISH LIST
| -Word Search, Word Find, Crossword Puzzle Suduko Puzzles -Journals -Coloring Books -Crayons -Colored Pencils -Pens -Playing Cards, Card Games -Small spiral notebooks -Sharpie Markers -Stickers and Sticker Books | -Light Up Wands -Bubble Machine Blower & Wand -Toy Ambulance -Sensory Toys -Medical Kits -Doctor/Nurse Kits -Kitchen Toys -Teething Rings | -Crib Toys (Soft baby books, musical smoothers, Mobiles, projectors) -Small Dolls/Barbie Dolls -Match Box Cars -Play Dough -Balls -Action Figures/Superhero Toys -Handheld games -Frisbees -Baby Cars | -Fisher-Price Little People Figures -Playskool Busy Popper Toy -LeapFrog Learning Toys -Vtech Learners -Paw Patrol Toys -Disney Toys -Small Lego Kits -Princess Dress Up Kits -Stuffed Animals | Video Games for Xbox One, PS4 Non-violent games. Mostly sports, Legos, Minecraft, Hasbro Fun Pack, Monster Jam, Marvel Games, Pac-Man, Madden, NBA, Fishing, -Phone Chargers -Headphones/earbuds – inexpensive ones -Kindle Fire |
Drop-Off Locations
| -County Fire Marshal’s Office -Governmental Center -District Attorney’s Office | -Divine Nutrition, Eden -Beautiful U Salon, Mayodan -Dag On County Store, Reidsville | -Eden Fire, Station 4 -All Reidsville Fire Stations -Yanceyville Road Fire -Northwest Rockingham Fire | -Most Volunteer Fire Departments |
