With jingle bells ringing and Christmas lights flashing from their festive hats and sweaters, volunteer elves with Sequim Community Aid last week helped make Christmas a little merrier for dozens of Sequim families.

Toys for Sequim Kids, an ongoing, pre-Christmas event for 70-plus years, filled the Sequim Prairie Grange with toys, games, clothes, stuffed animals and more on Dec. 11.

Co-chairman Kathy Suta said the event went great.

“I felt we gave away more toys than last year,” she said.

Organizers said 411 children from 140 families received gifts this year from Sequim. In 2018, 352 children received items from the event. Organizers also raffled off 31 bikes for children for free, too.

Participants filled large sacks of items they chose with help from volunteer elves like Suta and many others with donations from the community and various businesses and organizations.

Emma Menes of Sequim came with her friends Farah Durham and Sisa Morrill for the second year, hoping for toys for their six children.

“It helps a lot,” she said.

Bryan Adair of Sequim also came for the second year seeking items for Christmas for his four children.

“It’s the most fantastic thing,” he said.

As tradition, parents/guardians come throughout the day from the Sequim School District boundaries.

Children typically receive a stuffed animal, two toys, a game, book and clothing.

Donations came from community giving trees, blanket and clothing drives, Santa driving around town and more.

Many people gave in their own ways, too, such as building bicycles to give or dolls.

Dorie Meredith of Sequim made dolls for Seattle Children’s Hospital, but they were unable to accept them because they have stuffing in them.

Co-chairman Philomena Lund said Meredith sold some at a craft fair and donated the rest to the event with about 35 dolls and 250 outfits.

Continued support

Leading up to Toys for Sequim Kids, several groups and businesses work together to bring in the items for the event.

Suta said organizers thank the following: Anytime Fitness; YMCA of Sequim; Starbucks, Clallam Co-Op Farm and Garden; Grocery Outlet; Clallam County Fire District 3 (Santa’s Toy and Food Fire Brigade); Blue Sky Realty (blankets and coats); Olympic Disposal and Sequim Kiwanis (bikes and helmets); Walmart; Coastal Farm & Ranch; Radio Shack; Subway; Brian’s Sporting Goods; Swain’s; Westside Pizza, Oak Table Cafe (lunch for the event); Blue Mountain Baking Co. (cookies); Toys for Tots (toy donations); The Linus Project (for more than 100 blankets donated for families); BSA Troops 90 and 1103 (blanket drives); Sequim Prairie Grange (facility rental), and various clubs, realtors and citizens who contributed toys, blankets and throws.

The event was co-chaired by Suta, Lund and Jim Davis of Sequim Community Aid.

Utilities needed

Along with Toys for Sequim Kids, Sequim Community Aid provides year-round help with utility and rent for those in need.

Monetary donations can be mailed to: “Sequim Community Aid, P.O. Box 1591, Sequim, WA, 98382.” Checks for Toys for Sequim Kids should state “toys” on the memo line. To donate to the agency for utility assistance, leave the memo blank, organizers said.

Call Sequim Community Aid at 681-3731 for assistance and/or to volunteer.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.

Farah Durham collects two homemade dolls for her two daughters from Cindy Mckay as Mary Taylor watches. Dorie Meredith of Sequim made the dolls and donated more than 30 of them and 200 outfits. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Haley Mack of Sequim enters a raffle for one of 31 bikes at Sequim Community Aid’s Toys for Sequim Kids as volunteer Curtis Alexander watches. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Nancy Garbush helps Karena Mora find stuffed animals for her three children ages 7, 12 and 14 at Toys for Sequim Kids. Below, friends, from left, Sisa Morrill, Emma Menes and Farah Durham stand together after attending Toys for Sequim Kids on Dec. 11. The three moms received toys, games and more for their six children ranging from 4-12 through Sequim Community Aid. Menes said they came last year and the event helps them a lot. Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash