Toy Drive for Hospital Patients Becoming Annual Collection

 
By Jonathan Weaver

Last fall, Manorville Chiropractor Justin DiMond and his wife, Ashley, were overwhelmed with toys collected for Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Roughly 400 toys were collected during the Lillie Kay Foundation event – now based in Tennessee – on behalf of Lillie Kay Kimsey – who died only five days after she was born a year earlier.
“My goal is 600 this year – over 100 more than we did last year,” Ashley said. “Every year I’d like to add 100.”
Originally formed December 14, 2010, the newborn’s death helped inspire her parents to help other children in the hospital in her memory. The evening commemorating Lilly Kay’s first birthday, her parents asked family and friends to bring gifts for Lilly Kay to donate to patients at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Tennessee.
In 2012, the drive collected more than 1,000 toys for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, but collected more than 1,500 last year.
Ashley said toys collected at nine businesses in Armstrong County – from Kittanning to Freeport – will stay in the region, even though the foundation is now also partnering with Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“These toys donated go directly to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh,” DiMond said.
DiMond and her mother, Shari Stull, collected toys throughout the year for the second-annual collection, with Ashley and the family of four donating dolls and at least a dozen books so far.
Within the first week, DiMond Chiropractic received a full double box of toys and at least a dozen shopping bag’s worth of toys.
The box at the Worthington Sunoco station along Route 422 is also nearly full and ready for pick-up. Ashley said a big response came via Facebook.
The Kittanning Men’s Club is also expected to vote this week about making a cash donation
“My goal is that (Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh) gets enough toys that (they just don’t deliver) at Christmastime, that if there is a child at the hospital they can bring a toy down anytime,” DiMond said.
Gifts were unwrapped so that parents at the hospital could pick what they wanted to give their child this season.
Due to the possibility of infections, stuffed animals were not accepted.
Justin hopes to join his wife at the hospital distribution next month.
Unused and unwrapped toys and clothes geared toward boys and girls of all ages will be accepted. All toys must be donated or available for pick-up by Sunday, December 14.