Toys purchased with telethon donations delivered to families

It will be a happy Christmas for thousands of children across the northeast.

Volunteers pack and deliver toys to recipient families in Sudbury following donations to CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario)Volunteers have spent the past week preparing and delivering toys – all purchased thanks to generous donations made during the recent CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon.

The Sudbury haul of gifts went out Saturday morning.

Volunteers from three different organizations were on hand to pack toys into vehicles and head off to deliver them to recipient families across Greater Sudbury.

The presents were purchased using some of the $337,615 raised during the nine hours of the 75th edition the telethon.

Lions Club Telethon co-chair Sam Khoury said just as the telethon was a team effort so is the delivery of all the toys.

“It’s the work of the community,” he said.

“The cadets are here, Big Brothers Big Sisters are here, the army is here to deliver the toys to needy people in the city.”

14 Lions Clubs participate to help and assist those communities outside Sudbury and inside Sudbury – but the work of everybody together makes it happen, added Khoury.

About 20 volunteers from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Sudbury stuffed their vehicles full of toys to be delivered, knowing they’d soon be greeted with smiles from grateful families.

“A lot of them are expecting us to show up. It’s just that appreciation, they always say thank you,” said executive director Chantal Gladu-Depatie.

“Sometimes it’s the children that are running to the door. So we’re always asking for mommy or daddy to come to the door so we can hand it to them.”

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Representatives with the Lions Club told CTV News they are able to help so many families because of the efforts of volunteers, sponsors and partners.

“The Lions in Sudbury and surrounding districts have worked so hard to do this. It gives you such a good feeling in your heart to make sure you’re helping the people less fortunate,” said Lions Club telethon co-chair, Bob Lachance.

Lions Club co-chair of the CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon Sam Khoury talks with CTV News as toy distribution is underway on Dec. 9/23. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario)“Thank you to everyone – for those volunteers, the 14 Lions Clubs in the area, plus Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Cadets – they are wonderful to help us,” said Khoury.

“The Sudbury community is excellent. Thank you, Sudbury.”

The Lions Club says 18,000 toys went out this year, making this a merry Christmas for more than 11,000 families in northeastern Ontario.