Toys for Tots effort saved

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

Thanks to volunteers at the New Eagle Fire Department, Christmas has been saved for hundreds of Mon Valley children. 

Last week Wally Fronzaglio, long-time organizer of the Mon Valley Leathernecks’ participation in Toys for Tots, learned the organization could not use the Donora Social Hall for the annual distribution event due to state COVID-19 restrictions.

Fronzaglio, who has served as coordinator for the past 31 years, was worried the program might be called off. After a story about the situation was published in Tuesday’s Mon Valley Independent, Fronzaglio received a call Thursday from New Eagle Ladies Auxiliary President and hall rental coordinator Dorothea Pemberton that left him at a loss for words. 

“To say I was excited is an understatement,” Fronzaglio said. “It means these kids in the Mon Valley will be able to have a Christmas after all.”

If not for the offer to use the New Eagle Social Hall, there was a good chance the toy distribution wouldn’t have happened.

“I can’t tell you how hard that would have made Christmas for these families — if they were able to have Christmas at all,” he said. 

Pemberton said they jumped at the chance to help.

“We know that this year, more than ever, is going to be tough for a lot of families,” she said. “When we saw these great guys needed a place to hold their event, there was not much of a question to offer our space to them.”

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