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San Francisco Firefighter’s Toy Program

The SF Firefighter's Toy Program would like to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you who volunteered and took the time to donate during the 2008 Holiday Season.  With your help we were able to give 40,000 toys to over 25,000 children.  Those numbers are amazing and, with the hard economic times right now, your generosity was needed more than ever.  We started giving toys away beginning December 1st and didn't stop until December 25th.  In order to accomodate everyone and give away that many toys, our appointments for recipients were scheduled one every minute, from 8:00am until 1:00pm.

ToyProgramThis year the majority of our donations came from businesses that had toy barrels at the work place, corporate events, holiday parties, private donations dropped off at fire houses, and other various events.  The children of San Francisco are smiling today and are happy that they were able to receive toys on Christmas morning.  So to you we give our thanks and praise and want you to know that the SF Firefighters Toy Program greatly appreciates your support.

The San Francisco Firefighter’s Toy Program is the city’s largest and the nation’s oldest program of its kind. Since 1949, it has evolved from a few firefighters repairing broken toys and bikes for 15 families to, in 2004, 300 firefighters and friends volunteering their time to distribute over 200,000 toys to more than 40,000 disadvantaged children. Besides helping individual families in need, the Toy Program serves many community organizations, including shelters for abused women and children, inner-city schools, neighborhood groups, children’s cancer wards, and pediatric AIDS units. We also respond on a year-round basis to displaced children who become victims of fires, floods and other such disasters.

Dependent solely on donations, the SF Firefighter's Toy Program places collection barrels at retail establishments, street fairs, Christmas parties and many other functions.

Invite Us to your Holiday Party –The holiday season is a time when friends gather to celebrate and offer a bit of Yuletide cheer. Many have made it a tradition to invite the SF Firefighter's Toy Program to their parties. Everyone on the guest list is encouraged to bring a gift or monetary donation in support of the Toy Program, and our firefighters are on hand to collect them.

For more information or to make a donation, please call (415) 777-0440.