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Video by Patty Stocker
State Rep. Jim Arciero’s Sun Santa/Toys for Tots Fundraiser drew close to 500 supporters on Thursday, Dec. 5 at Westford’s Franco-American Club. The 10th annual event raised close to 23K for the Lowell Sun Santa Fund which has been assisting families in need during the holiday season for 31 years.
“To have partners like Jim (Arciero), Nancy Cook, and his elves come together to put this amazing event together, we are so blessed and honored to do the work”, said Lowell Sun Santa Fund Coordinator, Nancy Roberts. “We get about 1,000 donations every year to collect a fund to support a voucher system to enable to support toy and food vouchers.”
Attendees are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event, which are collected for the US Marine Corp Honor Guard’s Toys for Tots program or they can choose to make a donation to the Sun Santa Fund. Gift basket raffles and silent auctions also raise money for the fund.
“We have over 200 gift baskets here,” Arciero said on the night of the fundraiser. “The toys continue to grow and grow under the tree. They almost reach the level of the tree. And we’ve raised just a tremendous amount of money for children and families in the greater Lowell area during the holiday season.”
Past and present state and local officials were in wide attendance, including state Sen. Ed Kennedy. “In my district, there’s probably three or four of these (fundraisers) that take place within the next week or two within a 10 day period, but this one is far and away the largest one.”
Donations to the Lowell Sun Santa Fund can be made through their website at lowellsun.com/sun-santa. Drop off locations for the Toys For Tots program can be found at toysfortots.org.
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