The Berlin Fire Company is hosting its annual Toy Drive to benefit patients of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Drop-off begins on Monday, November 25, and ends on Friday, November 29. Toys can be dropped off at the Berlin Fire Station located on South White Horse Pike. Only new and unwrapped toys will be accepted.
This will be the third consecutive year the Berlin Fire Company will be hosting the Toy Drive. The tradition began as a good-will effort four years ago to collect toys and funds for one of their own. Don Hyclack, a volunteer firefighter for over 20 years, admitted his son to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia when he was first diagnosed with Leukemia.
“Things were tight for Don around that time, and we wanted to make sure his son, Jamie, had the Christmas he deserved,” said Fire Deputy Tom Jones.
Jamie Hyclack has been in remission for one year and wanted to continue the tradition of collecting toys for all patients in the pediatric cancer ward.
“The toys my department collected made Jamie so happy that Christmas, and he just wanted to pay it forward,” said Don Hyclack.
“The toy drive has been very successful, and we’re going to continue to host it for as long as we can,” said Deputy Jones.
Marissa Thomspon, head nurse of the pediatric cancer ward, remarked, “The efforts of the town of Berlin are greatly appreciated. The children’s faces light up when the fireman dressed in their gear walk in with the boxes of toys.” The Berlin Fire department has donated more than 2,000 toys to over 350 patients of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since 2016.