Annual Murphy Fire Rescue children’s toy drive returns
No contact drop-off starts on Nov. 16, ends Dec. 6
MURPHY (November 13, 2020) Boys and girls served by the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County will once again be the recipients of the generosity of Murphy residents as the Murphy Fire Department is hosting its annual toy drive.
Starting on Monday, Nov. 16 and continuing through Sunday, Dec. 6, new, unwrapped toys for boys and girls will be collected by members of the department. This year, however, instead of toys being accepted at the Fire Station bays, there will a no-contact drop off inside the Fire Department Administration entrance, 206 North Murphy Road. Drop-off boxes will be located inside the building’s foyer, on the north end of the building facing the Plano Sports Authority. Boxes will accept toys between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Unfortunately, circumstances will also prevent the department from the traditional Santa visit inside the Fire Station. Nevertheless, firefighters will be accepting toys during the City of Murphy’s Trail of Lights on the evenings of Dec. 4 and 5 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Trail of Lights will wind through the City Hall driveways and will take the place of the usual tree lighting ceremony and Christmas in the Park celebration. Fire trucks with lights ablaze will signal the drop off points for the toys.
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County began in Plano in 1992, serving only about 10 percent of the children in the community victimized by abuse or neglect.
As the population of Collin County has grown, so has the number of alleged victims. As a result, there was an increased demand for these types of services. The Center occupied its current location on Los Rios Boulevard in 1999, where the organization now offers services to 100 percent of children in need, free of charge, with no waiting list.
Since opening its doors, Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County has served more than 70,000 children and family members impacted by abuse.