Bayshore Fire, hair salon do part for holidays
Toys were packed under the Christmas tree. More than 100 shoe boxes were filled with small gifts, as were coffee mugs set aside for older children.
There were so many toys at Studio 2, a hair salon on Tamiami Trail, there was barely any room in the Bayshore Fire Dept. truck or in the SUV that came along with it.
But that wasn’t a bad thing. It was to help more than 200 families in the area have a Christmas they might not otherwise have had.
Studio 2, along with a few other businesses took part in the annual fire department toy drive to help area families in need enjoy Christmas.
Families from Suncoast Estates, as well as some in Cape Coral, will benefit from the program.
The salon did its part by collecting toys, notebooks and other necessities, thanks to donations for customers and legwork done by countless volunteers.
Kenny Lampman, along with her Razzle Dazzle Divas from Buccaneer Estates, donated many items toward the drive, as well as got many people in their community to give.
“We did real well. We had some real go getters this year,” Lampman said. “Some of our clients did a lot, and one lady at Buccaneer, Cindy Coudill, donated a room for us and we put everything in the room and she organized it for us.”
So many people contributed that they couldn’t name them all. They did 103 shoeboxes, filled with toothpaste, toothbrushes, bubbles, socks and toy trinkets, earmarked for kids 0 to 12. There were also 126 mugs filled with cocoa, cookies, a pen and candy cane, which are given to the older kids, Lampman said.
There were also handmade chalkboards made from wood a neighbor was going to throw out and instead made frames out of it.
“We always find stuff for the little kids, but not always for teenagers. The fire department also takes in money to buy things the older kids would like,” Lampman said, adding they also collected clothing for women’s abuse, donating 423 pieces of clothing, as well as toiletries.
Bayshore has held this toy drive for close to 30 years, with Studio 2 associated with it for eight. Every year it goes to a handful of area businesses which also work to collect toys from neighbors and clients.
It has been more difficult for the fire department to put on the event, with the recent layoffs it experienced after the fire assessment was voted down.
But there is a realization, as Theresa Sharp of the fire department said, that these toys collected will be their Christmas.
“We’ve tried to scale back this year and it hasn’t worked. How do you tell your mother she can’t have toys for her children?” said Sharp. “With the layoffs and we haven’t had as many ‘adoptions’ as last year, it’s been tough. We’ll take their name and do the best we can.”
The department brought three volunteers to help, including one volunteer who was laid off in the cutbacks.
Chris Misner, the volunteer, said it felt great to continue to help people.
“It’s what we’re in the business for. I love helping people,” Misner said.