Operation Toy Drop raises $8,300 with Toys for Tots

NICOLLET, Minn. (KEYC) - The Christmas season is the time for giving and receiving.

With the Coronavirus surging there were a lot of initiatives that screeched to a halt.

Operation Toy Drop with Toys for Tots was not one of those events.

“It’s a wonderful experience and it’s something that makes you feel good. Especially, when you can help someone that needs the help that can’t really afford to take care of what they need to and hopefully we will be able to do so again this year,” Toys for Tots representative, Jack Collins said.

The new restrictions that went into place on Friday cancelled the original corn hole event that ROE Defense and Mankato Area Cornhole had in place.

In light of the cancellation the two organizations put their heads together to still raise money for a good cause.

“Decided, let’s keep this going. So the matter of Operation Toy Drop that started out here a week ago turned into an Operation Toy Drop drive by where people can pull-up, they don’t even have to get out of their car. They can drop off toys, cash donations to help out the Toys for Tots,” Operation Toy Drop coordinator, Jason Zuehlke said.

Operation Toy Drop was put together in the matter of two days, but you wouldn’t have guessed that this event was planned on a whim.

They had nearly ten businesses sponsor them, two professional signs made and volunteers from the Marine Corps to help out in any way they can.

Two of the main coordinators and co-owners of ROE Defense, Robert Frederickson and Zach Haag, knew that this year would be tough enough on families and wanted to try and lighten their stress.

“This will be a tough enough year for the families so anything we can do to help people out during the pandemic is what we need to do,” Operation Toy Drop coordinator, Robert Frederickson said.

The toys and cash donation all go to the organization Toys for Tots which help out area families who are experiencing tough times and can’t afford Christmas gifts.

They make sure that the toys find their way to those families so they all have some gifts under the tree during the holiday season.

Once the toys are collected they are stored until Christmas time, and then volunteers with Toys for Tots shop for the recipients, which makes the process even more special.

“Bag those up and bring those out to the people and then try to get it to the people and this is under normal circumstances. This year we are going to be doing a drive through so that the people will not actually be inside,” Collins said.

With year one under their belt, Operation Toy Drop is already looking forward to next year’s mission.

“Well with a day notice, you see what we accomplished. So, with a whole year the sky is the limit right. So, I think it will be something else,” Operation Toy Drop coordinator, Zach Haag said.

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