The Miracles Behind an Annual Toy Drive
The After School Excel Program at the Roberto Clemente Elementary School in Newark, NJ had a lot more kids than expected at their annual Christmas party a few years ago. The Broadcast and Media Operations department at Montclair State University, who donate the toys, were one gift short. So a little girl had to settle for a used stuffed animal, the only gift the group had on hand. She took the gift gratefully, went back to her seat, and then began to cry.
Feeling bad, Associate Director of the department, Patricia Piroh, went out to her car to get $20 for the little girl. Instead, when she opened the trunk, there was a perfectly wrapped box in the shape of a Barbie Doll. “I’m sure it was empty, we took everything out,” she said. She brought the Barbie inside and the little girl’s face lit up.
“There are a couple of little magic stories that have happened over the years,” Piroh said.
Piroh coordinates a Toy Drive for the annual Christmas parties held at the elementary school. Each year, staff and students from the department and the School of Communication and Media donate the toys up to a value of $15 for about 50 to 60 children. The lot of toys are wrapped and brought to the after school program.
This year, the magic continued at Roberto Clemente for the third and fourth graders in the program. Joyfulness immediately filled the air as the college students, elementary students, and staff joined voices while singing Christmas carols to the sound of Junior John Salimbene’s guitar. Starting the lineup with “Feliz Navidad,” each child walked into the cafeteria clapping and singing along. Pre-set on the lunch tables for every student were two candy canes forming the shape of a heart accompanied by a juice-box. Trays of cookies were placed in the middle of each table for the children to share.
As the singing and snacking came to a close, “Saint Nick” made his grand appearance. The children screamed of happiness and sprinted over as fast as they could to him to hug him. Anabella Poland, the General Manager for WMSC, the school’s radio station, saw a girl burst into tears when she saw Santa. Poland asked her why she was crying and had asked her if she was afraid of Santa Claus. Her response was simply, “I’m just so happy.”
Originally, the toy drive started over 20 years ago with the Alliance for Women in Media club on campus called “Operation Santa.” Instead of Roberto Clemente, the toys were taken to an elementary school in the Bronx. After two years, “Operation Santa” came to a close and Piroh felt that Broadcast and Media Operations should continue the toy drive. “Our department was a party waiting to happen,” she said. That’s when they found Roberto Clemente Elementary.
Priscilla Torres works at the Elementary School and helps run the After School Excel Program every Monday through Thursday from 3–5:30pm. She smiled throughout the party. “My goodness. I know that when I was a child Christmas was my thing. I would shake every present… Many of them [students] are unfortunate… so they’re really super grateful that they’re going to experience and get these extra presents,” Torres said.
Table by table and child by child, a line was formed to meet the man in red. Santa greeted each student with a “Hello” and presented them with a perfectly wrapped present as he wished them a “Merry Christmas.” Some children hugged him while others high fived. When every student had a gift, Professor David Sanders asked if anyone wanted to wait until Christmas to open their gifts. “NOO!” was the echoed response around the room. Sanders smiled and counted down from ten to one. On one, the sound of crinkling wrapping paper and cheers erupted.
“We rely on a higher power to try to get the toy to the right kid,” Piroh said. She had experienced some miracles at the school on Summer Avenue over the years.
In one instance, Piroh said someone donated a dart board and they weren’t even going to bring it to the school. The boy who received the dart board as his present was so excited that he screamed. “The teacher said to us that all he’s wanted to do was learn to play darts,” she said.
Sanders has been involved in the toy drive and party for 20 years and said in some cases, these gifts may be the only gifts the children will get this year for Christmas. In other cases, he said some of the children will re-wrap the presents for their younger siblings.
“It’s pretty heartwarming. The kids are so happy and our students really connect with them, too. It’s a warm, fuzzy way to start the holidays,” he said.
Station Manager of WMSC, Juan Contla, enjoyed his experience last year and this year didn’t disappoint. “Going to the school and being with the kids really shows you how much you have to be thankful for,” he said. “These kids are in an after school program and don’t have a lot, so seeing the snacks and the gifts along with so many smiling faces help distract them from any troubles they might have, at least for a couple hours.”
Poland has one particular story from last year that wets her eyes every time she thinks about it. “I saw a little girl open her present and then wrap it back up. I asked her why she did that and she said it was because if she doesn’t, she’ll have nothing to open on Christmas morning,” she said.
This year came a story quite similar. Mia was sitting at the lunch table with an untorn piece of wrapping paper laying next to her new doll. She requested to wrap her gift back together. When asked why, she said it was because her parents wouldn’t believe her if she told them that Santa gave it to her at school. Mia wasn’t quite sure how to wrap the present, so with a little assistance, she taped the corners that were held down for her. She also mentioned that her cousin gets two presents each year while she only gets one; Mia is so happy to know she has one extra gift this Christmas.
Among the School of Communication and Media, there was a mutual feeling of happiness from faculty and staff, including Senior Renee Buldo. “My emotions are very happy. I teared up seeing how happy the kids got,” she said.
“It brings our students together to do something for a great cause and we are doing a really nice thing for the kids and they love it,” Sanders said.
