For immediate release - December 22, 2005

Lake County Government employees celebrate the season with charitable donations of toys, food

TAVARES — Lake County Government employees concluded one of its largest holiday charitable drives ever by donating 359 toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program and sending 21 recycling bins stocked full of nonperishable food to three local food banks.

George Horsford collects donated toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

Beginning Nov. 21 and ending Dec. 21, employees stocked toys in the Lake County Administration Building for needy children. Members from the Fruitland Park-based Marine Corps League North Lake Detachment made routine trips to the administration building to collect the donated toys.

“Helping with the Toy for Tots Program is something we do every year,” said Grace Watson, Lake County Administrative Office Assistant and organizer for the Lake County Government charitable toy collection.

George Horsford, a retired Master Sergeant of the U.S. Marine Corps from Mount Dora, picked up the toys Wednesday. According to Horsford, the North Lake Detachment gathered enough toys during the holiday season from generous Lake County agencies, businesses and individuals to benefit 1,250 local families.

“This is our largest year yet,” he said about the countywide toy drive.

In addition to the collected toys, Lake County Government employees during the holiday season gathered nonperishable food to donate to three local food banks. Employees from the Department of Public Works transported the food Thursday to food banks in Clermont, Eustis and Leesburg.

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Contact information:
Christopher Patton
Public Information Coordinator
Office: (352) 343-9609; Cell: (352) 455-0445
cpatton@co.lake.fl.us