Dayton 4-H Donates to Toys for Tots

By Jonathan Weaver

The Triple S 4-H club – which meets in Dayton but accepts youth from across the county and into Indiana County – has another community service project checked off their list.

Youth members recently bought and donated toys to the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

Amanda Bartosiewicz has three grandchildren in the group – Alexis, Jacob and Christian. She said children decided to take on the service project at the meeting at the end of October and that children were only asked to bring in one gift, but some brought as many as four.

“We had an eight foot table that was completely full and they were stacked two-or-three high,” Bartosiewicz said. “And then we had two bicycles donated.”

Bartosiewicz helped deliver the toys to the Bantam Marine Detachment #743 warehouse in Butler and was in awe of the facility counting down past 10 days before Christmas.

“The building we were in was huge, and just completely filled with toys,” Bartosiewicz said.

Group Leader Pete Hawkins grew up in the 4-H program – one of the first youth to show swine at the Dayton Fair - and became a leader with his wife, Amy, 10 years ago

Hawkins began with less than a dozen youth members – including his three children – Kristin, Taylor and Nick - but participation has risen to nearly 75.

Past community service projects including painting curbs in Dayton Borough, donating food for the local foodbank and a Christmas party for Kittanning Care Center residents.

“We’re very community-active,” Hawkins said. “Sometimes we do things and we don’t even realize it. You just do it – nobody expects any recognition for it.

“That’s what 4-H is about. It’s a great community – I’d like to see more people involved in it.”

Hawkins, who lives with his family on Route 85 on a 475-acre farm about a mile from the former Greendale Tavern, also donated toys toward the project and said youth members were excited to contribute.

Kristen and Taylor remain junior leaders in the 4-H group

“They both come home from school and say, ‘Dad, you have no idea how much 4-H influenced us.’

“Once you get involved with 4-H, for some reason you can’t get out of it,” Hawkins laughed. “Once you learn how to do things, you want to teach other people how to do it – and that’s why I like 4-H.”

Youth members already decided this will be one of their service projects in 2015.

About six members will also show animals on the state level in Harrisburg in early-January.

Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of every month at the Glade Run Church in Dayton.