The school teamed up with Ossining Children’s Center, a day care for underprivileged children ages birth to12. Children’s center volunteer Stacey Winnick, along with Columbus guidance counselor Connie Cotrone, organized the drive.
The outpouring was “incredible," said the center’s director of development, Shawn Cribari.
Winnick made the trip to Columbus to collect the gifts on Dec. 17 and praised the school for helping children in need.
Student representatives from each grade helped sort and bag the gifts as Winnick explained how the school’s gift drive would bring the joy of Christmas to children who had so little. “I think they’ll feel happy,” said fourth-grader Eva Cangialosi as she set to work packing the bags with gifts.
The toys were sorted according to age and gender. When the packing was finished, the toys filled five huge plastic bags that were just about as tall as the students were.
"I'm blown away," said Cribari of the mountains of toys. "This is absolutely incredible."
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