Huge ham radio response to ARRL toy drive

The United Way in Martin County, Florida, reports "a huge response" by the Amateur Radio community to the ARRL's call to support a holiday toy drive on behalf of the agency's "White Doves Holiday Project."

The ARRL effort aims to provide toys for youngsters left homeless or displaced by a relentless string of hurricanes earlier this year. Carol Hodnett, who directs the United Way of Martin County's Volunteer and Community Resource Center (VCRC) says ARRL members from Maine to California have sent toys or money, and more are arriving every day.

"Because of the overall strain on our state, we have been looking outside the area for help in supporting the White Doves Holiday Project this year," Hodnett said. "We are so incredibly thankful to the American Radio Relay League for thinking of the children in our area in planning its toy drive."

Among the responses: Hodnett says a representative from an ARRL-affiliated club in Cary, North Carolina, is planning to drive a truckload of toys to the White Doves warehouse at the Martin County Fairgrounds next month. The ham radio club at Salt Brook Elementary School in New Providence, New Jersey, also is planning to contribute to the toy drive, she said.

Ham radio operators maintained emergency communication operations in several Florida counties following hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan, Hodnett noted, and "they learned about the devastation firsthand or through their networks."

ARRL Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says that while severe weather affected many areas of the US to differing degrees, Florida was hit the worst, and thousands of families were left without a place to live. "For a child suddenly living out of a tent, or car, or someone else's home, the 2004 holiday season will be anything but jolly," Pitts says. "But hams are coming to their rescue in a new way."

Hams across the country are encouraged to purchase an unwrapped toy for a boy or girl aged 1 to 14 and send it with a QSL card or 3x5 card displaying their call sign to: Ham Radio, The United Way White Dove Project, 50 Kindred St--Suite 207, Stuart, FL 34994. Monetary donations also are welcome. Send gifts and donations prior to Thanksgiving,
Thursday, November 25. Martin County United Way has agreed to serve as the collection point and also coordinate distribution to the surrounding counties.

"The thousands of hours hams spent in providing free emergency communications to the families hurt by the hurricanes is now being matched by the thousands of dollars in caring for their children," Pitts said. The first shipment of toys from ARRL Headquarters staffers should go out by
November 8.

Additional information about the ARRL holiday toy drive are on the ARRL Web site.

Source: ARRL Letter - courtesy of The American Radio Relay League

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