Birch Lane Elementary School’s student council and SADD club organized a two-week toy drive for the John Theissen Children’s Foundation.
Photos courtesy of the Massapequa School District
The toys are piling up at Birch Lane Elementary School in the Massapequa School District, reflecting the giving spirit of students during the annual holiday drive.
Toys are being collected for the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, which will distribute the items to sick and underprivileged children. It is a long-standing tradition at the school, and this year’s toy drive is a partnership between the student council, advised by Meghan Reedy and Allison Rifkin, and Students Against Destructive Decisions, led by social worker Anna Romeo.
Every morning, fifth-grade student leaders serve as elves and travel the school, visiting classes and picking up toys that were donated that day. They place the toys in bins in the main lobby, which are then brought to a classroom. When the toy drive ends on Dec. 16, representatives from the John Theissen Foundation will pick up the toys, which already totals in the hundreds. Students and staff could also donate gift cards for Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
“It makes me feel happy that a bunch of other kids who can’t afford it will get toys,” fifth-grade student council member Isabella Tiscione said.
“It feels good because we’re helping people,” Andrew Venditto added.
Isabella and Andrew said that one of the biggest responsibilities of the student council is to help the community. They noted that Birch Lane students have been very generous this holiday season and a lot of children will benefit from the school’s efforts.