Leatherstocking Corvette Club Secretary Sharon Fleming and Officer at Large Dick Fleming donating a box full of toys to the Chenango County chapter of Toys for Tots. The club aims to give back to the community each year, with this donation marking their 18th year of supporting Toys for Tots. (Submitted photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY — The Chenango County chapter of Toys for Tots has been working hard to collect toys and donations for area children in need this holiday season, and several local organizations are supporting the cause.

This season, Toys for Tots received a donation from the Leatherstocking Corvette Club, a local organization that not only enjoys sharing their passion for classic cars, but also giving back to the community.

"We have donated for Toys for Tots around 18 years," said Leatherstocking Corvette Club Secretary Sharon Fleming. "We also donate to the food pantries in different areas. We try to choose two or three each year."

Membership of the club spans from Norwich to Walton, Oneonta, Binghamton, Cooperstown, Earlville, Edmeston, Hamilton, Sherburne, and more. Fleming said each year members contribute to their civic efforts by donating toys to be given to Toys for Tots. This year their efforts filled an entire Toys for Tots donation box.

Leatherstocking Corvette Club Officer at Large Dick Fleming said in the past the club has also provided monetary donations from approximately $800 to $1,000 per year.

The City of Norwich Police Department (NPD) has shown support of Toys for Tots this year as well. Over the weekend, Toys for Tots volunteers went on a shopping spree at the Norwich Walmart, collecting carts full of toys thanks to donations provided by community members and local organizations and businesses.

"We have a lot of community volunteers pitching in and helping out," said Toys for Tots of Chenango County Organizer Terry Potter. "There’s fundraisers that we do throughout the year, but there’s some well established organizations here locally in the community that donate to Toys for Tots, and without them there’s no way we could do it."

After the toys were purchased, the NPD loaded up a trailer to transport the toys to St. Bart's Parish Hall, where toys are sorted and distributed to local families.

Donation boxes for Toys for Tots are set up across Chenango County, and there's still time to donate toys to children in need.

Toys for Tots volunteer Teresa Foster-Jones said commonly needed items include hair dryers and straighteners for older girls, shaving supplies for older boys, baby toys, and toys for seven- to ten-year-old girls.

"Infants is always a big category for us, and girls seven to ten. It’s a weird age, so it’s hard to pick out for them. But that’s also an area too where we always need gifts," she said. "And it seems to be we get way more boy gifts than we do girl gifts."

Last year, the Chenango County Toys for Tots collected 4,450 toys, and Potter said everything that's donated gets distributed to local families.

"All the toys we collect here in Chenango stay here and are distributed to families and children in need here, right here in our home base," he said.