 Hi everyone I am Barry Silver with Channel 17 and we are officially kicking off the holiday season today with a show about an upcoming toy drive in Essex Junction. It's Troy's Toy Drive on December 8th that's Sunday December 8th and I've got Troy Austin here and Debbie Austin to tell us more about the toy drive. So thank you guys for being here. Thank you for having us. Thank you and thanks for organizing a toy drive that I know this is the fifth annual year and it sounds like it started kind of small at your house and it's grown to something pretty big. I was amazed when I was doing some research before the show at how many businesses you have involved and all of the different it's not just a toy drive there's a lot going on right so do you want to tell us more about it? Yeah so the first year I had one truck SD Ireland came out okay and we had about maybe 50 to 100 people. So still that's that's a good amount of folks that were involved and that care about people in the community and wanting to make sure that that everyone has toys at the holidays is that yeah I'm guessing that that's the goal of the toy drive. Yes And then this year we're having seven trucks come out. Wow. Four lighted up no actually five lighted up trucks and then three vehicles Essex police Essex rescue and Essex fire department will be coming out. Okay so the trucks come out there I've seen the SD Ireland truck around the holidays it's all it's like a cement truck I think that's wrapped in in Christmas lights and yes and so there are another there are other trucks that are that are lit up like that too so people can come and see that and then and they should bring an unwrapped toy with them. Yes bring an unwrapped toy to Maple Street Park and then we'll donate them to Salvation Army. Okay great so there's uh in addition to the trucks there's other stuff happening. Yes uh so route seven and Green Mountain Chorus they'll be coming out to the toy drive and they'll be singing route seven we'll be singing from 430 to 530 okay and Green Mountain Chorus we'll be there from 530 to 630. Oh that's fun. These are acapella groups. Both acapella groups and singing I'm sure holiday themed songs and so it sounds like again even more fun. Yes and um and what else there are it's uh you and your mom Debbie have been doing this for five years but it now that it's gotten so big it sounds like it takes a lot of people to to make the event happen. Yeah we have a bunch of people that helped that we have somebody helping out with the fire pits that we'll have on site. Okay and then somebody MTS Entertainment running does sound equipment. Wow this just sounds better and better right so there's a fire pit. Yeah we have friends that actually have helped to make some food for the singer sometimes and then Mark's barbecue is donating some food for the singers and we have a lot of donations coming from um things like a coffee cup bakery and Hannah Ferds cookies and hot chocolate. Okay and um and are those for the those are for the singers or is that for people who attend the event? Those are for people who bring people who bring gifts and attend the event can have the cookies and hot chocolate and the donuts and yeah that's all donated. Okay great that sounds great and tell them about the Santa Claus that's kind of fun. Yes the Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be coming out from 430 to 630 as well and they can get a free picture with the Santa Claus. Nice all right so the entire event so again it's December 8th and it's from 430 to 630 the entire event but it sounds like there are different activities and so the singers are happening at different times. Is there a good place for people to go to to get more information what would be the best place for people to get all of the information that they need about timing and and I know parking is an issue so we should probably talk about that. Yeah so they can go to my Facebook page um Troy's Toy Dread okay and I have an event page I think that's it and there was another way to find it too through the Essex Junction Recreation and Parks page. If you go to the Essex Junction Rex page yeah they can they have an event page that's linked to my page and that has um yeah again that has the timing it's at Maple Street Park which is 75 Maple Street in Essex Junction and they can park over it um if there's there's parking on both sides of Maple Street there he's going to use the middle section okay but the more parking can be over ADL school and the first student bus will be um my sister happens to work for that company and Troy has them I think they're going to have a lighted bus there but then one that also shuttles people back and forth which is just across the street but yeah it's nice to not have to walk. Yeah and if there is bad weather you just dress warm and there's the fire pits and hot chocolate and donuts and other treats to keep you warm from the inside out sounds like. There's also uh Troy has worked out that there's a drawing for Essex Cinema they've donated um well probably about three sets of passes that we'll draw names after and people win those to go to the movies so that's gonna be fun. Great so there's lots of lots of reasons to go out there in addition to doing a good thing around the holidays so and is that what inspired you Troy to start this five years ago what was what what made you want to create an event like this? I wanted a nice event for the community to come out to and how about people who are in need for the Christmas season to have gifts underneath the Christmas tree. You know I have to say growing up Christmas was one of Troy's favorites favorite holidays and um he just really loves people and I noticed that if there's an event Troy's at it you know or there's something going on and what was kind of neat last year is somebody contacted him through Facebook and said that they were local kind of near us and had um two children that were not going to get many gifts because the husband and the law says I don't know what had actually happened in their situation and um she told us the age of them we picked out just a couple like two or three things for each child beforehand and she mailed Troy a thank you and a picture with them opening it and just really made their really made their day so I mean I think he'd love to be the one to pass out the gifts too but yeah um he does give them to a local organization that does find where the need is are there any other guidelines for gifts other than um they should be new and yeah unwrap new unwrap toy would be great new is is important because sometimes people will put stuffed animals in there whatever that have been used and that's that's sweet but I think those need to go more to a used these are for Christmas day so and in terms of age appropriateness that's something that's all taken care of anywhere army okay little to you know teenagers yeah enjoy it too and gift cards or there have been some gift cards in the past yes I'm just thinking about teenagers I know that yeah there was one like even to like um local stores where they could buy you know clothing I noticed that there were some of those given to yeah so yeah for some kids that's that's a meaningful and certainly valuable gift the choice is also going out into the community and just looked for the donations um you know he's gotten some local people to donate equipment like a generator because when we first held this at our house he had so many things going with Christmas lights and speakers and everything that if I use the garage door opener everything just blew I remember one time trying to blow dry my hair and everything went you know so um you know Essex equipment donates a generator and got that equipment got that rental has given some heaters for the singers and uh it's my 10 company they donated a stage yeah for us to use Otter Creek awnings is giving a big awning to go over the singers and Gallagher Flinning Company has given just cash to give towards um he buys some decorations he has a big frosty the snowman or you know um blown up so it's all a lot of people have just really donated been very kind so great so it's really a community event yes yeah so how do you you just approach people and ask them and seems it's it's okay to get the answer no sometimes if they don't want to but he just goes to the next one most people loves to help out with events like this yeah well it's great it's a good community event yeah I know well you reached out to us on Facebook and we were certainly more than happy to help them and and definitely to uh give our viewers an opportunity to get involved are there other ways are you still looking for volunteers or at this point you're you're all set as far as that goes uh I'm happy to have volunteers to help out with the toy drive or if they want to come and drop up a toy that would be awesome okay yeah usually he's trying to find people to help set up he's setting up the stage so my husband Steve um does a lot the whole day before he's running around picking up all this stuff yeah Troy will tell him everywhere he's got to go I think you're getting some toy bins now too right yeah so for uh salvation army they're actually going to be dropping off for toy bins okay for people to drop off the toys last year I had an SUV that was packed with toys trying to get it over there like I couldn't even see yeah pictures of that yeah so yeah I think we have a couple times in the past yeah so you're like a local santa clause yeah she's a white beard huh yeah there you go you've grown the beard you're on your way you're on your way Troy well thank you so much to both of you for telling us about uh Troy's toy drive I got it right at twister there it is a tongue twister but it's a wonderful event and it's a great way for people in our community to to help out their neighbors um so again it's uh Troy's toy drive in Essex Junction on December 8 from 430 to 630 at the Maple Street Park in Essex Junction head on down with an unwrapped new toy and help out your neighbors and help yourself to some hot chocolate and donuts and other goodies and and uh everyone have a happy Thanksgiving and a great holiday season thanks for watching