State Sen. Jack Martins got to play Santa Claus last week for the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island and based on his record-setting performance it is a role he is welcome to repeat.
It was the biggest single delivery of Christmas Toys in the 23-year history of the facility, Ronald McDonald House executive director Matthew Campo said. “This is by far the largest contribution of toys at Christmas time from a single source.”
Campo said the toys would be distributed to pediatric patients in the Cohen Children’s Medical Center as well as to the 20 families currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park. The Ronald McDonald House is a not-for-profit in New that serves is a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children undergoing critical medical treatment in area hospitals.
“It’s the holidays. It’s the end of the year and we always look for ways to give back,” Martins said. “The idea that we can make life a little better for a child who’s fighting a chronic disease, everybody can relate to that. During this holiday season, it’s important to remember that it’s better to give than to receive.”
While Martins organized the drive, he said he had plenty of helpers collecting the gifts.
Included was his staff, volunteers, and area residents who brought donations to Martins’ office in Mineola. Several schools and groups also collected toys for the cause, including Center Street Elementary School in the Herricks School District and the Hillside Public Library.
Several of the volunteers carried the large bags of toys that were brought to The Ronald McDonald House.
Volunteer Dennis Walsh, attired in a Santa Claus T-shirt and sporting a thin white beard, loaded toys for the Ronald McDonald House in his van and helped bring the bags of goodies in. “It’s going to a good cause,” Walsh said.
