ONEIDA (NBC 26) — Children in need around the Oneida community will be celebrating a Merry Christmas thanks to a big contribution from the Oneida Tribe and area veterans.
Organizers say the tribe donated $3,000 and the local VFW donated $750. Veterans were able to use that money to buy toys for children.
Toys were then dropped off at the Oneida Services Office, where they were organized and then distributed to area families.
Marine Corps Veteran Joe Valentino says he remembers having a Merry Christmas as a child through Toys for Tots, and he loves being able to give back as an adult.
"This was the type of event that I looked forward to as a kid, because sometimes this is the only thing that I would get for Christmas, from events like this," Valentino said. "So, just now to be able to be in a position where I can pay it forward and provide a better Christmas for countless families, it's just an amazing feeling for me."
Valentino said they were able to fill six shopping carts full of toys earlier this week.
From there, veterans will collect the toys and then hand them out to families in need.
