Community gears up for annual toy drive in Montreal: ‘Why not give back?’

With December right around the corner, the spirit of giving seems to have already begun in the city.

Including the community gearing up for the annual REMAX Excellence Toy Drive in support of the Montreal Children’s and Sainte-Justine Hospital.

“I’m beyond blessed,” said founder of the toy drive, Cristina Cuscuna. “I’m thankful to the whole community for making it reach this far.”

“Giving back to the community and helping children around the holidays,” she said. “Was something I really wanted to do.”

Now in its fifth edition, Cuscuna began the initiative because she too was a patient at the Children’s when she was a little girl – frequently experiencing seizures.

Not only are thousands of toys donated every year – $50,000 has been raised to date.

They put that towards becoming the first donors helping to establish this: the Colorectal Centre of Excellence at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Something that means a lot to her family.

“My brother’s stepson, George, has a colorectal disease,” said Cuscuna. “The funds are still rolling because the clinic still needs our help.”

Funds will continue to be raised, including at the toy drive through raffles.

“Dec. 8 we’re gonna have heated tents, we have a live DJ, photos with Santa,” explained Cuscuna. “We got a photo booth, face painting for the children.”

“So many activities for the children, not only the adults, but the children as well,” she added. “It’s really a family event.”

“It’s something that has to get done,” said Fabio Chimienti, one of the organizers of the toy drive. “I mean, people are less fortunate than we are, so why not give back?”

And do they ever, the toys delivered to the hospitals aren’t simply given out in December. 

“Whether it’s his birthday, whether it’s a holiday, I mean, they’re distributed at different times throughout the year,” Chimienti explained.

On the team’s wish list: new toys, especially for infants from zero to six months and youth from 12 to 16 years old.

The magic, happening between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. outside of their office on Dec. 8^th at 7130 Beaubien E in Anjou.

But toys can also be dropped off before then.

“Thank you and God bless everybody to our fifth year,” said Cuscuna. “And to many more.”