Maple Ridge Secondary Indigenous leadership students are holding their annual drive-thru toy drop on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023.
The Circle of Indigenous Youth and Allies (CIYA) club will be collecting donations from cars driving by the school at 8 a.m. The MRSS choir will be on hand to spread cheer with music and the basketball team will be spreading joy with hot chocolate.
The CIYA is looking for new, unwrapped toys, books, gift cards and cash. Donations will also be accepted in the MRSS library until Dec. 5 and then handed off to Indigenous leadership students at Eric Langton Elementary, who will distribute the toys to families in the community.
“This year we are expecting a large increase in the number of families that will be relying on our help to create a little Christmas magic,” said Sherri Britton, an Aboriginal support worker at MRSS.
Rambo’s Toy Drive has been around for about 10 years and helped many local families over the years.
“When I was little, this toy drive helped my family out to make Christmas extra special for me and my little brother,” said Eden, a student in the CIYA. “I’m very grateful that we have this toy drive.”
Gifting goes back to an Indigenous gathering called the ‘potlatch,’ she added, that is typically held to mark an important celebration or event. At a potlatch, everyone receives a gift to serve as a reminder of the important day.
“Potlatch is one of the big reasons why we honour gifting, which is why you should bring your new toys and cash donations to the library,” Eden said.
