Thousands will benefit from Toys for Tots campaign

A mountain of Barbies. A pile of Legos. Bags and boxes of toys upon toys. And a small army of volunteers to unload it all.

That was the scene early Saturday morning at the Party Store in Kalispell.

Organized again this year by Kelly Hamilton of Columbia Falls and her assistant Jamie Mack, about 700 families and 2,000 children will have a Merry Christmas thanks to another successful Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign.

Bee Broadcasting held a radiothon to gather toys and donations to buy toys from partner the Imagination Station

and a host of businesses and groups held toy drives as well.

The Party Store donated its warehouse space to host the annual event.

Just about every toy imaginable could be found. One table had a baby Yoda, from the Mandalorian series, perched high on a pile of toys.

All told about 100 volunteers showed up to unload the toys from cargo vans, including 4-H kids and their families and a large group from the Columbia Falls Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

More toys will be coming Hamilton said, and people can still drop off donations until Friday at the Party Store, Hamilton noted.

The toys weren’t all store bought either.

Local craftsmen Ed Toren, Dusty Dusterhoff, Bob Redinger and Larry Would made cool wooden toys.

Despite the volume of toys, volunteers were able to unload the trucks in about an hour and a half. Hamilton was very thankful for the help.

In the past, it would take a full day to just unload the toys. The toys will now be sorted and spiffied up by even more volunteers.

Families can start to pick up toys starting Wednesday by appointment, Hamilton said.