Tots get toys from BC

In the spirit of the season, the Office of Graduate Student Life is hosting a Toys for Tots drive to benefit local children. As a campus-wide effort, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to donate new, unwrapped, non-violent toys for children from the ages of 0-10 years old. The initiative will continue through Dec. 11 at which time the toys will be picked up for delivery to the Watertown Police Station.

Once delivered to the station, the toys will be distributed to boys and girls in need throughout the Boston area.

The Toys for Tots drive on campus was initiated three years ago by Lauren Radano, a BC graduate student '06, and has become an annual event helping out the Massachusetts State Police in this cause.

Last year, on the last day to drop off toys to the Watertown Police Station, the 250 toys from the BC drive were delivered and received with overwhelming gratitude.

"The numbers were down last year and they were extremely grateful and relieved when we came on the last day," said Katherine O' Dair, associate dean for graduate student life. "They field many requests so they really appreciated the push in the end."

This year, the toys will be delivered two days before the deadline in hopes to alleviate some of the burden on the police station to honor all of the requests throughout the area.

In this third year, the Office of Graduate Student Life strives to increase the number of toys collected and has set the goal to 500 toys.

To aid in the attempt to achieve this heightened objective, the drop-off locations have been extended and currently include: Murray Graduate Student Lounge, Fulton Graduate Lounge, GA&S Dean's Office McQuinn 221, ODSD Office in 21 Campanella Way 212, and GEA Lounge in Campion Hall.

"We also encourage any residentce halls or offices on campus that want to partner with us to let us know and we will bring them a big wrapped box," said.O'Dair.

As added incentive to donate and to become a drop-off location, the Office of Graduate Student Life is offering a reward for participating locations; the office or location that collects the most toys will receive a pizza party for 35 people.

To spread the word about the drive, the Office of Graduate Student Life has put up fliers around campus, posted as an event on the BC calendar and on BC Info, and were invited as the "community service spotlight" by the Volunteer and Service Learning Center to announce the toy drive at halftime of the BC vs. URI basketball game.

The Toys for Tots drive was also spotlighted at the Graduate Night Out last night where students who brought toys were eligible to receive a $25 American Express Gift Card.

The Office of Graduate Student Life has received great support from other graduate associations on campus. The Office of the Dean for Student Development, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate Management Association, and the Graduate Education Association have all offered great assistance and currently serve as drop-off locations for the drive.

Leading in the efforts at the Carroll Graduate School of Management is Ezra Englebardt, CGSOM '07. Having been involved in the drive last year, Englebardt chose again to contact O'Dair, get a drop-off box, and assume a leading role in fundraising and spreading awareness of the drive throughout campus.

"Basically I go around and bug people," said Englebardt, who has been dedicated and avid in his attempts to notify faculty and students around him about the drive.

In coordination with the increased goals, Englebardt has also stepped up his own personal efforts and recruited a first year graduate student as well as a second year graduate student to help him in his attempts to spread the word about the cause. He also sent e-mails to the entire campus about the drive.

"I send out a lot of e-mails and really put the pressure on," said Englebardt.

Englebardt also helps in an alternate opportunity to help out the drive. As it may be difficult for students without cars to go to a toy store, there is also the option of donating money to the drive, which would then be used to buy toys.

"We don't really care how we get the toys, as long as we get them," said Englebardt.

Tonight there will be a table set up in the Fulton Hall Atrium at 6:30 p.m. where anybody is invited to donate cash or toys. In addition to this event, Englebardt can be contacted at englebar@bc.edu to accept cash donations and also answer any questions about the drive.

"We encourage all members of the BC community to think when they are at Target or CVS to pick up unwrapped, non-violent toys," said O'Dair.

In this holiday season faculty, staff, and students of BC are looked upon to help out the local community and spread joy to children in need. Anyone willing to donate should look for the big wrapped boxes throughout campus to contribute to this cause.