HOLLYWOOD, Md. — The St. Mary’s County Youth Organization (SMCYO) Baseball League is stepping up to help children affected by Hurricane Helene by hosting a “Stuff A Truck” Toy Drive. The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Higgs Memorial Field, located at 24680 MD-235 in Hollywood.
Community members are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to contribute to the drive, which aims to bring holiday cheer to children who have lost their homes and belongings. Each drop-off earns participants a ticket for a chance to win a gift card to Texas Roadhouse.
The idea for the toy drive emerged as part of the league’s broader effort to engage with the community beyond baseball. “We, [the league] happened to be brainstorming more ways to be a part of the community – outside of youth baseball. We wanted to give back in other ways, meaningful ways,” said the SMCYO Board in a statement.
The inspiration for the initiative came after seeing a flyer from the Knights of Columbus and SOMD PACERS organizations promoting aid for hurricane victims. “Kids giving to other kids, something they could understand and relate to,” the statement explained. The league’s players were enthusiastic about the opportunity to help, recognizing the importance of bringing joy to children who have lost everything.
“Our goal is to ‘stuff a truck bed.’ If we can overflow 1 truck, it would mean the world to us! We have plenty of back-up truck beds to use,” the board added.
This marks the league’s first participation in a charitable initiative of this kind, though they hope to make it an annual tradition, supporting children’s charities or donation drives in the future.
For more information about SMCYO or the toy drive, visit their website at www.smcyo.com or follow them on Facebook.
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