The plan to distribute toys to 200 families on Friday and 300 on Saturday turned into 500 on the same day.
That doesn’t sound like fun, but organizers of the Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive scrambled to make sure bicycles, trucks, dolls, stuffed animals and more get into the hands of the children who will give them extra love.
The second floor of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown, on Friday was filled with toys.
The 10th annual event, which collects hundreds of thousands of gently-used toys from Pittsburghers and gives them away to families in need every December, was affected by Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-19 orders announced Thursday.
Starting Saturday, the number of people allowed to gather indoors is reduced to 10 and and outdoor gatherings are limited to 50.
“We had a few moments of panic, but then talked about a plan and made some adjustments,” said Heather Starr Fiedler, of Cheswick, co-founder of the event with Amy Kier Reinhart from Mars. “This year has taught us that we need to often change things on a dime and just roll with it.”
Starr Fiedler said they contacted people scheduled to pick up toys on Saturday and alerted them they need to stop by Friday.
Volunteers who were there setting up at the convention center on Thursday returned that evening after they heard they had to get everything ready for one day, Starr Fiedler said.
“Everyone has been so appreciative and flexible, from the volunteers, to the convention center staff, to the families,” she said. “It’s been wonderful. It’s a true sign of the holiday season.”
Tasha Palone of Carnegie was originally scheduled for Saturday. She saw an email at 4 a.m. and stopped around noon on Friday to pick up toys for her two daughters, ages 4 and 5.
“This is great, especially this year which has been so rough on people,’ she said. “This is a huge help to struggling families.”
It certainly does, agreed NayNay Williams of Pittsburgh’s North Side. She was with her children and her mother outside the convention center waiting for a ride to transport the toys. The youngsters were smiling as they rode on a scooter and pushed a bike.
“We are so thankful,” Williams said. “This is amazing what Play it Forward Pittsburgh does for us. This what Christmas is all about.”
The need this year was greater than ever, said Starr Fiedler, who with Kier Reinhart started the event as a way to give new life to toys.
Items were collected at drop-off locations throughout Western Pennsylvania. Usually children get to choose their three toys, but the pandemic would not allow for that, So the volunteers packed items from the kids’ wish lists. Each family receives one large family item such as a bike or kitchen set.
Every item was disinfected.
Seeing the children playing with the toys is why Heather Ross of Verona has been volunteering at the event for nine of its 10 years.
She said this year there are probably people who may not have fallen on hard times who still experienced challenges in 2020.
“I love the sustainability aspect where you see the toys get a second life,” she said. “I love that these toys will go to homes where the children want them and will give them more love.”
