[December 20, 2011] 

Pictures by Marla Blair

At 6 o'clock Friday morning, a small group gathered at the Lincoln Rural Fire District building to wait for toy distribution. Firemen opened the door and invited people into the training room to stay warm.

Toys for boys were piled on a table in the rural fire department's garage. Toys were sorted by age and by gender, to make selection easier.

Toys and learning items were sorted for newborn to 2 years old; 3- to 5-year- olds; 6 to 9; and 11 and older.

Boxes with stuffed animals, puppets and more were lined up in the hallway. Those items were used as stocking stuffers. Parents could choose one for each child, and they also received a bag of candy.

Jay Gaydosh, Logan County Toys for Tots coordinator, tested a remote helicopter before setting it down in a soft landing. Only new and unwrapped toys are accepted, to allow parents to pick them out and wrap the gifts themselves.

Jim Harnacke (green shirt) and Jay and Donna Gaydosh (pink shirt) initiated Logan County Toys for Tots 10 years ago. Donna's grandson, Donovan (left), has attended each event since he was 18 months old.

Local veterans of the Marine Corps and other volunteers gather for last-minute updates and a review of the process for assisting parents.

Logan County Toys for Tots co-founder Jim Harnacke's daughter, Mariscia (left), 20, and her brother, Brannon, 22, volunteer every year. Brannon is currently stationed in Afghanistan.

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