There are lots of toy drives this time of year, but one connects two communities — Montgomery County, Maryland, and western North Carolina — that were linked by the destruction of Hurricane Helene.
The Montgomery County first responders who were part of the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force that was sent to communities affected by Hurricane Helene have launched a toy drive to make the holidays a little brighter for families recovering from the September storm.
Scott Graham, who spent 26 years with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and who currently serves as the chief of the Upper Montgomery Volunteer Fire Department, said the bonds formed when first responders worked at sites in North Carolina still remain.
“You embed, and you start to work with the people and assist the people to a little bit better place in their lives,” Graham said.
So now, months later, Graham said it’s natural for the first responders to continue pitching in — even to communities hundreds of miles away.
“It’s not our backyard, but for those who responded there, it has become part of their backyard. Every deployment we’ve ever gone on, we’ve established friendships and relationships that still exist today,” Graham said.
The toy drive is taking place at three Montgomery County malls: Westfield Wheaton, Westfield Montgomery and Clarksburg Premium Outlets on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
The toys will then be delivered to North Carolina on Monday, where the Toys for Tots of Western North Carolina will distribute the gifts.
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