Toys

Maryland State Police troopers from the Hagerstown barrack delivered toys to The Salvation Army’s Toys For Tots program on Dec. 16. Led by Lt. David Kloos, barrack commander, active and retired troopers who live and work in Washington County partnered with Walmart of Hagerstown for the event. Troopers raised more than $1,700 to purchase toys for the program that supports more than 1,200 families and 2,600 children in Washington County. The Maryland State Police would like to recognize Mike Martin and the staff at Walmart of Hagerstown; MTA Lodge 88 and President Brian Kloos; Adrian Curca of Rocky’s in Smithsburg; and Mike and Marlene Young.

Employees at the Tractor Supply Company Hagerstown Distribution Center worked with The Salvation Army to provide Christmas presents to 50 children in the area. They participated in two programs of The Salvation Army. One was Fill the Stocking, in which employees filled stockings with toys, gift cards, personal care items and other things for children 12 years of age or younger. The second program was the Angel program, in which employees purchased toys children listed on their Christmas wisg lists.

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. Editor's Note: This is the sixth story in a 10-part series about people who make this holiday season brighter for others. The series concludes Christmas Eve. charlestown@herald-mail.com He's not Santa Claus, but he's close. Every year at Christmastime, Mickey Johnson greets hundreds of parents of needy children inside the parish hall at Zion Episcopal Church along Washington Street. Welcome to Santa's Jefferson County Toy Shop, where Johnson helps parents select toys for their children in a room jammed with goodies like train sets, dolls and video games.

Movie Review What if the future needed your help, but all they sent you to help them was a mysterious box of toys? In "The Last Mimzy," two children try to correct the genes in a futuristic race by learning special powers from the toys in the box. When Noah and Emma Wilder vacation with their family at a beach house, they find a strange metal cube in the water. They take it home and discover extraordinary toys inside - toys like nothing else on Earth. Since the two actors are elementary school age, and since they are playing with toys, you would think this is a children's movie.

Seventeen boys. Fifty dollars each. Aisles full of toys. And ... go! Members of Funkstown Cub Scout Pack 23 and Boy Scout Troop 23 hit the shelves Saturday afternoon at Walmart on Garland Groh Boulevard, snatching up four carts full of the toys they like best. Then, in a flurry of excitement and a novel twist, they gave them away. Pack 23 Cubmaster Don Harriman said the pack and Troop 23 financed the project with excess funds from a popcorn sale along with a contribution from Funkstown American Legion Post 211. Walmart agreed to partner with the group, and some of the Scouts' parents gave monetary donations, bringing the dollar value of purchased toys to more than $1,000.

Williamsport's final classic car cruise-in for 2012 will be held Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. on two blocks of Conococheague Street. Classic cars should plan to enter from either end of Salisbury Street. The cruise-in benefits Toys for Tots. Everyone is asked to bring a toy or monetary donation. Entertainment will be an Elvis Revue. Santa Claus, as played by Bud Kline, will make an appearance. Bring a camera if you want to take your picture with him. There will also be door prizes and 50/50 drawing.

Two girls from Brownie Troop 40169 represented their troop as they made a  donation to Toys for Tots at a Dec. 18 event sponsored by the Leitersburg Cinemas in Hagerstown. The girls used the proceeds from selling cookies last year to purchase the toys. They decided last January that they would use some of the money earned for a fun activity and a donation of toys. They had their fun activity at Pump It Up but were waiting for the right opportunity for the toy donation. After reading about boxes of stolen Toys for Tots boxes in the Chambersburg, Pa., area, the decision was made to help the organization run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, which helps needy children in the area.

Maryland troopers from the Hagerstown barrack delivered toys to The Salvation Army's Toys For Tots program on Dec. 16.   Led by Lt. Dave Kloos, barrack commander, active and retired troopers who live and work in Washington County partnered with Walmart of Hagerstown for the event.   Troopers raised more than $1,700 to purchase toys for the program that supports more than 1,200 families and 2,600 children in Washington County.   The Maryland State Police would like to recognize Mike Martin and the staff at Walmart of Hagerstown; MTA Lodge 88 and President Brian Kloos; Adrian Curca of Rocky's in Smithsburg; and Mike and Marlene Young.

A motorcycle ride to benefit Toys for Tots will be Sunday, Oct. 9, starting at Harley-Davidson of Williamsport at 10210 Governor Lane Blvd. Registration will be from 10 to 11 a.m. The ride starts at 11:30 a.m. and ends at Barefoot Bernies in Hagerstown. A minimum donation of $20 per rider and $10 per passenger is required. To get a registration form, send an email to toysfortotswcmd@yahoo.com . For more information, call 301-694-8177 or send an email to marketing@hdfi.net .

The Alans were out in force on their Harleys for Saturday's Martinsburg American Legion Riders Group's annual Toys for Tots Poker Run. Alan Rannals, Alan Rannals II and Alan Rannals III - grandfather, father and son - all are named for movie star Alan Ladd. Alan Rannals, 61, or "Iron Butt," as he's known by fellow Harley riders, was one of the oldest riders in Saturday's fundraiser for the Christmas toy program. He is a Vietnam War veteran and a Legion member. Rannals was born in Hollywood, Calif., the second youngest of nine children.

For the past few months, I feel like I live in an acting studio. My daughter's favorite hobby of late is acting out scenes from her favorite books, TV shows, or devising her own scenarios that involve these best-loved characters. We portray numerous characters. It's all up to her. We perform as most everyone who appears on "Dora the Explorer," "Caillou," "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and "The Berenstain Bears," to name a few. Sometimes, it is as simple as a role reversal, where my daughter plays Mommy and I must be the young child.

Sierra Nevada Corp., Integrated Mission Systems in Hagerstown held a Toys for Tots drive to help make a difference in the lives of those living in Washington County. Employees shown from left are Dave R., Linette E., Amanda D., Cindy P., Jessica S., Deb H., Ali D., Tiffany B., Andrea E., Linda M., Deb V. and Daryl F.

Today, they chair a banking institution with billions in assets, provide medical care for hundreds of families, recruit big-name economic development prospects, head a public library system, lead the YMCA, own a restaurant and steer Washington County governments. But ask them a simple question - Growing up, what was your favorite toy? - and the decades fade away, taking them back to a time when they were kids at play. For this Christmastime story, The Herald-Mail contacted 10 Tri-State-area grown-ups whose names will be familiar to many.

April Blackburn was selecting toys for three of her five children Thursday at the annual Salvation Army/Toys for Tots giveaway program held in the former CVS building at Longmeadow Shopping Center north of Hagerstown. “If it wasn't for this my kids wouldn't really have Christmas because I have no income,” said Blackburn, of Sharpsburg. “Family can only do so much. I'm just happy for the kids because they deserve it, and it's great that they're helping children in need.” Blackburn, 34, said she was shopping for her 9-year old daughter and her 3-year old and 4-year old sons.

The rows of black garbage bags filling a vacant storefront in Chambersburg on Sunday held not trash, but the Christmas presents for 817 families with a total of more than 2,000 children. Landis-McCleaf Marine Corps League Detachment 295 and its ladies auxiliary administered a Toys for Tots distribution for Franklin County, Fulton County and the Shippensburg area of Cumberland County in Pennsylvania. For 11 hours, youth volunteers carried bags of toys to recipients' vehicles. “We live in a very generous community, even when times are tough,” said Kathy Hoffman, who organized the toy drive with her husband, Rodney.

Seventeen boys. Fifty dollars each. Aisles full of toys. And ... go! Members of Funkstown Cub Scout Pack 23 and Boy Scout Troop 23 hit the shelves Saturday afternoon at Walmart on Garland Groh Boulevard, snatching up four carts full of the toys they like best. Then, in a flurry of excitement and a novel twist, they gave them away. Pack 23 Cubmaster Don Harriman said the pack and Troop 23 financed the project with excess funds from a popcorn sale along with a contribution from Funkstown American Legion Post 211. Walmart agreed to partner with the group, and some of the Scouts' parents gave monetary donations, bringing the dollar value of purchased toys to more than $1,000.

Carl David Paulsgrove, 86, of Hagerstown, Md., died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at the home of his daughter in Apex, N.C. Born Oct. 25, 1926 in Hagerstown, he was the son of the late David Paulsgrove and Elva Mae Stoner Paulsgrove Glenn. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bernice E. (Bee) Paulsgrove, who died March 24, 1998. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army. He was employed with Potomac Edison for 28 years, retiring in 1981.  Prior to that, he was employed with Holzapfel-Fiery.

The U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, which helps needy families nationwide, is still collecting toys for Washington County children this holiday season. Jim Mills, who coordinates the program in the county, said his team of volunteers has been collecting 1,500 toys a week, and about 8,000 toys had been collected as of Friday. “We are aiming for 13,000 toys this year,” Mills said. Last year, the program collected about 17,000 toys. “For some reason, less people signed up this year.

More than 150 single mothers, working couples and a few single fathers, all of whom have been hit by hard times, were on a Christmas toy-shopping trip Saturday morning at the 365 Church on 365 Mid Atlantic Parkway. Called 365 S.H.O.P. (Saving and Helping Other People), the program is in its second year. “Last year, we had 40 parents,” said Kim Shafer, who organizes the event with Wanda Shifflet. “This year, there are more than 150 here.” The program is open to families with verifiable identification.

It wasn't so long ago that Toys for Tots volunteer Trenton Funk's Christmas would have been pretty bleak without the help of Toys for Tots. As he cleared a table at Wednesday's spaghetti dinner fundraiser, he reflected on giving back to the organization that came through for his family one Christmas not so long ago. The father of three boys was laid off at his job three years ago, and his wife was attending school full-time to earn a nursing degree....