Annual Community Toy Drive being held in north Clark County

YACOLT — The 13th annual Community Toy Drive, put on each year by North Country EMS and Yacolt Fire, is going on now and will continue until Dec. 15. The toy drive has been going on since Nov. 15. Kim Pitts, of North Country EMS, said that every year they partner with the Giving Tree …

YACOLT — The 13th annual Community Toy Drive, put on each year by North Country EMS and Yacolt Fire, is going on now and will continue until Dec. 15. The toy drive has been going on since Nov. 15. Kim Pitts, of North Country EMS, said that every year they partner with the Giving Tree program at some of the local north Clark County schools. This program is coordinated each year by Lori Homola. Pitts said all of the toys collected go to the children in north Clark County and southeast Cowlitz County.

“The programs benefit approximately 100 families each year,” Pitts said. The toys collected are distributed to area families, along with the Giving Tree gifts from the schools. Donated toys should be new, unused and unwrapped. As long as they are safe and unused, any toys will be accepted. Pitts has said in the past that they often receive a lot of toys geared toward younger children, so toys or gifts for older children are encouraged as well. Toys can be dropped off until Dec. 15 at the following locations:

• North Country EMS, 404 S. Parcel Ave., Yacolt
• Amboy Fire Station, 30805 NE 215th Ave., Amboy
• North County Hardware, 40600 NE 221st Ave., Amboy
• Green Mountain School, 13105 NE Grinnell Road, Woodland
• Yale Elementary School, 11842, Lewis River Road, Ariel

For additional information, contact Kim Pitts at (360) 686-3271 or via email at [email protected].