The pandemic has closed so many things, but it’s not closing the doors to Plum Borough School District’s “Stuff the Bus” Toys for Tots toy drive for children in need.
The event’s lead sponsor, Shari Klein, is an administrative assistant at Plum Senior High School, which, with the other schools in the district, is currently closed for in-person instruction due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. But this will be her sixth year of organizing the event, she said over the phone from the office there, and, “There was no way I was going to not do it.”
She’s just doing it differently. As usual, there are boxes at each school where people can drop off toys. From 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, in the high school bus lot, Ms. Klein and her helpers will accept more new and unwrapped toys from people.
But to keep everyone safe, it’s a drive-through event. Donors are to stay in their cars and either hand presents out the door or window or pop open the trunk for volunteers.
Unlike in past years — again, due to COVID-19 safety concerns — volunteers won’t include Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps members and other students. But Ms. Klein will have lots of help from fellow school staffers, teachers and administrators, including JROTC’s staff sergeant, Kevin Butler.
Some teachers are continuing the tradition of encouraging students to contribute toys in exchange for homework passes and other perks. And, as she notes, “All of our sports teams, boys and girls, donate toys. Every one of them donates a toy and then they come as a team to drop the toys off.”
The toy collectors all will be wearing masks — Ms. Klein has a snowman mask just for the occasion — and festive headbands and the like, as they get into the spirit of the season, too.
Alas, they won’t be able to serve hot chocolate and cookies, which in the past have been donated by local businesses. The Mustang mascot won’t be handing out candy canes, but may still be there, with holiday antlers on.
The Stanford Home Center in Plum and the Home Depot and Lowe’s in Monroeville have donated inflatable figures and lights to decorate the school bus, which also will be hung with a Toys for Tots banner.
“We’re going to have it look more festive,” says Ms. Klein. You can tell COVID restrictions aren’t going to ruin her fun. “I know this might sound funny, but it just gives me a wonderful feeling that I put a smile on someone’s face.”
Senior High Principal Joe Fishell lauds her dedication. “She gives of her own time and money to make this event happen. To be frank, Shari is one of the most generous people I know.”
She’s actually shooting to collect 1,000 toys, which would be about 300 more than last year, but knows they’ll get a good turnout. “That’s what’s great about our community here,” she says, adding, “I’m always hopeful.”
So is the PG Charities Goodfellows Fund campaign, which raises money for the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program in southern Allegheny County, including Pittsburgh. The Marines will pick up and distribute the toys collected in Plum.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has been running Goodfellows since 1947. In partnership with the Pittsburgh Cares nonprofit, which manages the volunteer side, the campaign raised more than $79,000 from readers last year — enough to buy lots of toys for struggling families.
Post-Gazette readers can make a tax-deductible donation using the coupon that appears with this story and sending it to Post-Gazette Goodfellows, Box 590, Pittsburgh PA 15230, or you can donate online at www.post-gazette.com/goodfellows. A tradition of Goodfellows is that the PG acknowledges every contribution in the newspaper.
Bob Batz Jr.: bbatz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1930 and on Twitter @bobbatzjr.
First Published: December 4, 2020, 2:00 p.m.