Grand Forks Realty is moving ahead with its fourth annual Toys for Kids campaign, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The brokerage has been collecting toys for needy children across the Boundary since Halloween, broker Cindy Anthony told The Gazette. Anthony and realtor Tammy Schembri are asking people to bring new, packaged toys to their office at 272 Central Ave.
The firm started the campaign in 2017, when Anthony realized, “We hadn’t been doing anything specifically for Christmas other than donating money to a hamper program. So we decided we wanted to be a little more proactive.”
“Christmas can be a hard time of year for Boundary families, so we’re happy to be able to give back,” Schembri added.
“These are our kids, too, so whether people recognize that we’ve given or not, it really doesn’t matter.”
Anthony noted the community’s generosity leading up to the first Christmas after the 2018 freshet, which hit Grand Forks especially hard.
“That year is forever burned in our memories,” she said.
She and Schembri said they would collect enough toys this year to fill an SUV, even if it means office realtors put in extra toys.
The office will be collecting toys until Tuesday, Dec. 15, according to Anthony.
@ltritsch1
laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.