BURRILLVILLE – Donna Hamelin and her grandchildren, Ezra, age five, and Clora, age seven, were helping spread holiday cheer at the Toys for Tots Drop Off sponsored by Berard Desjarlais American Legion Post 88 at the Binns Building on Saturday.
At the building by the river were many good deeds happening for the holiday: a Hess Truck raffle, new flag sale, coat drive, worn flag and canned goods collection, Knights of Columbus ROVAC and the collecting of new coats, and toiletries for RI Veterans Home.
“We really do a lot, go above and beyond for a small town,” said the grandmother and veteran about the sponsoring organization.
Another volunteer, veteran Linda Peck, said of her 13th year of participating, “I love it.”
In fact, she said. it’s one of her favorite days of the year. “I really like to see the kids happy.”
“We get a good response every year; we put out the word, we get an excellent response,” said veteran and volunteer Ron Parenteau. Of his colleagues at the post he added “We’ve got a great group here.”
Parenteau is also the liaison to the Boy Scouts for his military veterans’ group. The Scouts help put flags on some 1,200 veteran graves at five local cemeteries.
In this his fourth year helping at the Toys and Tots and more day, veteran Steve Miles said, “It’s a good event, giving toys to the needy.”
Veteran and volunteer Armand Tancrede said he likes helping out and “doing something for the community.”
He and others at the festively decorated building by the rushing river spent hours of their Saturday close to Christmas spreading cheer.
