A Dec. 12 toy drive sponsored by the Boomers and Womans clubs in Sun City West was a great success, even though restrictions caused by the need to stay distanced and masked made it a little different.

This year it was a toy “drop off” from donors’ cars. About 32 club volunteers collected the toys and arranged the unwrapped items on tables in the R.H. Johnson center. In addition to the gifts given by the community, toys were also donated by the woodshop, bicycle and softball organizations. 

There were 14 tables of toys (dolls, games, sports balls, stuffed animals, back packs, puzzles, arts and crafts, books, Legos, cars and trucks) as well as eight bicycles and 10 scooters. In addition, there were many handmade wooden toys.

Because of the coronavirus, children were unable to pick up their toys, meet Santa and have a cookie and juice as has been the case in the past.

Instead, representatives from the Nadaburg School and the Dysart/El Mirage Community Center collected toys for their kindergarten and first-grade classes Dec. 14. The representatives ensured each student enrolled in their programs would receive a toy.

The remaining toys were donated to the SCW Posse toy drive, the Firefighters Toys for Tots program and the Salvation Army.