Murphy Fire Department sponsors benefit toy drive
Generosity of Murphy community livens children’s holiday
MURPHY (November 14, 2023) Counting on the extraordinary generosity that Murphy residents have consistently shown in the past, members of the Murphy Fire Department are once again holding their annual toy drive to benefit area youngsters who might otherwise miss the joy of opening gifts at Christmastime.
The annual Murphy Fire Rescue Toy Drive begins on Monday, Nov. 20 and continues for three weeks, ending on Saturday, Dec. 9. During that time, the Captains, Drivers/Engineers, Firefighter/Paramedics, and Fire Administrative Staff of the Murphy Fire Department will be accepting new, unwrapped toys for boys and girls who are being served by the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County.
Toys and gifts can be dropped off at the Fire Department headquarters, 206 North Murphy Road. Drop-off boxes will be located inside the building’s foyer, at the north end of the building, facing the Plano Sports Authority. Toys will be accepted Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the drive.
As is customary, Fire Department personnel will once again have a booth at the annual Christmas in the Park tree-lighting celebration on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 7. Toys and cash donations will be gratefully accepted during the event, which starts at 6 p.m. and concludes at 8 p.m. The toy drive booth will be located close to the community Christmas tree.
The toys will be delivered to the Children’s Advocacy Center on Monday, Dec. 11.
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.
Fire Chief Del Albright says the annual toy drive is close to the hearts of each member of the Fire Department. “There are few things more personally gratifying than knowing that we, along with our residents, have made a difference in the lives of these young people who need our support. We are grateful for the kindness and generosity of the Murphy community,” he said.