HOLIDAY HAPPINESS

A dream of one Upper Moreland boy brings holiday smiles throughout surrounding communities

The #MakeEveryKidHappy is collecting new, unwrapped toys at various locations.

Image courtesy of UMPD

The #MakeEveryKidHappy is collecting new, unwrapped toys at various locations.

  • Good Citizens

Things seem much simpler when you’re a child. You have an idea. It seems so easy to make it into a reality. But as adults, we often know it takes a bit more to make things happen.

That’s really the goal that Calvin, a student who is an alumnus of Lightbridge Academy in Willow Grove, hoped to give when he dreamed that every local child could have a wonderful holiday. All this young boy, who lives in Upper Moreland Township, wanted for Christmas was to “Make every kid happy.” Thankfully, from his simple hope came a whole lot of local support.

The #MakeEveryKidHappy event is now in its fourth year. A partnership with the Upper Moreland Police Department has helped to find its success in a short time. The department works in conjunction with Calvin’s family to run a locally focused toy donation drive to support area families, organizations, and community members in need.

The community can get involved by bringing new, unwrapped toys to the school. The toy drive will run through Friday, Nov. 22. Once the toys are gathered, both the UMPD and Calvin, who is now in the third grade, will work to get them out to bring joy to local children.

“Our center is excited to host a collection box to help Calvin make the holidays bring for local families,” said the Lightbridge Academy’s Facebook post. A toy donation space is set up in the front office to collect community contributions
Even if you cannot make a financial contribution, the department is also collecting homemade holiday cards to send to the country’s troops. The school is also accepting cards at its front desk.

“We hope you can help us make this an amazing holiday season for local families,” said the post.

Lightbridge Academy is located at 2321 Blair Mill Road in Willow Grove. For more information on its infant, toddler, preschool, pre-K, summer camp or back-up care programs, visit https://lightbridgeacademy.com/willow-grove-pa/ or call 215-657-2400. Donations are accepted in person until Friday.

Retirement Planning Specialists, located at 1000 Easton Road in Willow Grove is also accepting donations for the cause. The planners will accept donations through Thursday, Dec. 5.

Donations can also be brought directly to the UMPD at 117 Park Ave., in Willow Grove. Another collection bin is located at Thompson’s Lexus of Willow Grove, located at 2560 Maryland Road.

    Image courtesy of UMPD
 

author

Melissa S. Finley

Melissa is a 26-year veteran journalist who has worked for a wide variety of publications over her enjoyable career. A summa cum laude graduate of Penn State University’s College of Communications with a degree in journalism, Finley is a single mother to two teens, Seamus and Ash, her chi The Mighty Quinn, and the family’s two cats, Archimedes and Stinky. She enjoys bringing news to readers far and wide.