Want to make a young person’s Christmas? Bring some toys to Leonie Sammurtok.
“Every kid likes receiving gifts at Christmas,” said Sammurtok, who is arranging her second toy drive in Rankin Inlet after her last in 2018.
“For some people, it’s hard for parents to be able to buy toys, and I’d like to help with that.”
Sammurtok is seeking toy donations until Dec. 20. Anyone who has toys their child has grown out of can donate them or bring new gifts. Parents can pick up gifts from Sammurtok to give out themselves rather than at the toy drive, as well.
She doesn’t think Rankin youth are too picky about what they’d like and said children would be happy to receive any gifts.
Sammurtok’s favourite gifts as a youth were anything to do with art – pencil crayons, paper, paint.
If people have more than one gift to donate, all the better. In 2018, she collected and distributed about 200 presents.
“The more, the better,” said Sammurtok. “If I can give kids more than one gift, they’d like that.”
She wraps them with the help of her family and enlists a local Santa Claus to give them out. Sammurtok is still waiting on information to confirm the place and time of the gift-giving event. In the meantime, anyone interested in participating should message her through Facebook.
“I really hope it is a good turn out, as it was a few years back,” said Sammurtok.