FIFTH ANNUAL TOY GIVE AWAY

FIFTH ANNUAL TOY GIVE AWAY 

December 6 & 7 & 9-14, 2024 

January 29, 2025 

 Wow! I am really late typing up the 2024 Grampa Bill & Gramma Gail For Everyone Fifth Annual Toy Giveaway blog.  I was actually quite ill with pneumonia two weeks before the event and when my friend, Marilee who is a wonderful nurse came by about a week after I still had it.  I am not sure if it was a continuation or a relapse.   Our board strongly requested I take the whole month of January off to recuperate.  I thought that was a crazy idea. Our non-profit isn't work to me, it is my passion.  But I listened to my friends concern and did back way off of doing much of anything and man does our house look like it.  We did still accept donations but I didn't go out looking for them.  We have so many absolutely wonderfully awesome donors in the community, it's unbelievable.  Our house really looks like a toy warehouse now!! 

 Taking the time off has put me behind on paperwork and posting things on our Facebook page and website.  I hope to remedy that very soon.

I must say that I feel like I missed a lot with this years give away (2024) due to being ill.  So I am really looking forward to our  Sixth Annual Toy Give Away this year.  There may be some big changes coming in 2025.  Keep an eye on our website http://www.gpabillgmagail.org   and our Facebook page Grampa Bill & Gramma Gail For Everyone  

 Now lets see if I can remember some of the fun things we did in 2024 both during the year and at the actual give away:

 Grampa Bill and I were able to connect up with our dear friend Sherrie Desbien, she allowed us to set up vendor space for Three day events at the Auburn Mall to promote our give away.  The community was very generous in helping us to finance this years event.  A great big thank you to Sherrie and to the people that who supported us.  We are hoping to return to the Mall in March of 2025. We met another coordinator by the name of Diana who also donated us space at her events.  Our hope is to eventually get one or two of our board members to help out doing the events.  They really are a lot of fun!! 

 I don't know how many people that know in our SPARE time Grampa Bill and I are busy with the Lions Club.  Grampa Bill is our club's Lion Tamer and I am the current President.  Our name is Tacoma Centennial Lion's club.  If anyone reading this is interested in joining a community service club please reach out to us and let us know.  Or if you have old eyeglasses you don't know what to do with we will gladly take them.   Thru the Lions we were able to visit several different clubs to give a program about what we do.  Many of the Lions were very generous with their gifts.  Thank-you one and all.  One club, located in LaCenter not only passed the bucket for us (literally they passed a toy bucket, which they also donated to the give away) they gave us toys and sent us donations during the course of the year.  Thank you to the men who transported items for us. (Bob Johnson and John Brannon)  A big shout out and thank you to Edie Brannon, President of LaCenter Lions Club.

 We were also able to connect up with a local Masons group (Grotto Masons).  It's interesting how that happened.  A very nice man, name of Michael, was out at the Auburn Mall.  He told us he rarely came down to the area where we were located but something told him he needed to come to the food court area and the rest is history:  Michael visited us several times throughout the year and even invited us to his club to give a program.  These gentlemen are so awesome!!  Not only did they donate toys and give us financial aid, several of them gave up one full day helping at the event!! There was a lot of teasing, laughter and fun that day.   This is one of the things Grampa Bill and I try to promote at our events.  We hope everyone has a good time while they work with us and our clientele.  Lots of snacks and soda is available to our volunteers as a thank-you for all you do for us and the families.  

 MARCH 6, 2025

 After I typed the above, I once again came down sick with the crud that is currently going around.  I have coughed so hard that I am now literally deaf in my right ear.  The doctor said my coughing cause the eustachian tube to become plugged.  I asked him if this was a permanent thing and he said he didn't know we are going to have to wait and see.  I do see my new PCP at the end of this month. 

 Lets get back to talking about the 2024 give away.  

 Once again we worked with a skeleton crew all eight days.  The number after the volunteers name are not accurate as they reflect only the days we were open for business.  They don't reflect the number of days some of our volunteers worked year round helping to process used toys and pack up new toys nor the number of days (hours) grampa Bill and I put in picking up donations.  Several of our volunteers worked every day from open until closing and several days after we closed to help pack up and return bins to the storage unit. Some of the volunteers started work at 9 AM and often didn't get out of the building until between 10 & 11 PM. If you volunteered and don't see you name on the list, you didn't sign in.  Please send me an e-mail and remind me of the days you worked so we can thank you properly.  Grampa Bill and I really appreciate all the help you gave us.  We continue to grow bigger and bigger and need more help!!  Please, if you are reading this and would like to volunteer  reach out to us at info@gpabillgmagail.org. The following is a list of our fantastic volunteers for 2024, the number in parenthesis is how many days they volunteered.  

 Carolina Centeno (8), Cassie Tripp (8), Lacee Forsythe (8), Debbie McMillan (8), Grampa Bill (8),Gramma Gail (8),Katie Mundy (6), Agnas Compton (6), Holly Zerfass (5),  Audree Christiansen (5), Santos Camacho (5), Nicole Haviland (4), Sharol Cook (2),  Mia Cook (1), Jessica Hunter (1), Michaela Boespflug (1), Ronee Hunt (1), Queiana Blanchard (1), Chelsea Warner (1), Amy LaTour (1), Myron Latour (1), JoyceLynn Balcourt (1), Joyce Cole (1), David Stevens (1), Jen Stevens (1), Ellie Stevens(1), Julie Stevens (1), Penny Stevens(1),Mary Stevens(1),Chris Stevens (1), Mike Palko-Dean (1), Jeff Craig (1) John Burrage (1),Marley Unutoa (1),Marcia Foalima (1), 

Sharica Peterson (1)

A big shout out and thank you to everyone of our volunteers.  If you are reading this and would like to volunteer for our 2025 toy giveaway, please send us an e-mail with your name, phone number, and e-mail address. Gail@gpabillgmagail.org.  Right now I am the only one working on coordinating volunteers but in the next few days Carolina is going to start training to be our volunteer coordinator.  I am so excited for her to take on this job.  

 I want to mention a couple of wonderful businesses we have been dealing with: The Children's Trading Post located at 11124 Gravelly Lake DR SW, Lakewood, WA98499 has been supplying us with merchandise for the children for the last two years.  Check them out.  They are on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/Childrenstradingpostlakewood/

 Another new supporter this year is Auburn Valley Humane Society Thrift Store & More located at, 1123 East Main Street, Auburn, WA 98002.  They have been donating  items to us monthly to give to the children.  They also are on facebook https://www.facebook.com/avhsthriftstoreandmore/

 March 7, 2025

I am so concerned that I am going to forget to thank someone awesome and I just almost did!! I feel a need to write about this so I don't forget what happen.  I feel the memory slipping away at times and I really don't want to forget this.  Last summer I was shopping at Hobby Lobby and I ran into a good friend who use to vend with us a long time ago, Tammy Tamrantula Hanson.  We got to chatting and I told her about our non profit.  She went home and told her mom, Terry Dickens.   Next thing I know Tammy is calling me and telling me that her mom had made some jewelry for us to give away.  I wish I had a picture to post right about here.  The jewelry is just beautiful.  I don't think we have any of the necklaces left.  I hate to admit it, but the earrings got lost in my bedroom but it gives a good start on jewelry for our 2025 give away.  Our bedroom looks like a Party City store room because they are having an awesome going out of business sale and there are bags sitting all around waiting to be sorted for the give away.  Terry also sent over a lot of brand new dolls.  A great big thank you to Tammy for being a go between and a huge hug and thank you to Terry for all her hard work.  (hint, hint.  sorry my fingers couldn't resist typing that.  ha ha)  Seriously I heard this week that Terry isn't feeling well please remember her in your thoughts and prayers.  Sending hugs your way, too,  Tammy.   

 I can't say enough about the people of our community who helped this year with donations of toys, both new and used, the financial help, the gift of their time.  What started out as a small toy give away is growing leaps bound!!  This is very exciting to me and Grampa Bill. Thank you to everyone of you from the bottom of our hearts!! 

 This leads me to the fun part of my blog each year.  We had set a goal of over 3,000 children to give gifts for the second time.  This year is our third year that we are once again setting the goal at over 3,000 children.  We feel we would of probably made it if we hadn't of had to close early on the last day.  Oh, I almost forgot to tell you how many children we actually served.  We gave an average of 4 gifts to 2,884 in 901 families!!  

 Thank you one and all for you help.  Each set of helping hands makes it a little easier to do the job.  It is impossible to describe the good feelings you get when you are helping others.  PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE, if I have left anyone out let me know, it certainly would not have been done on purpose.

March 8, 2025

 I knew this was going to happen!  I was just getting ready to post this on our Facebook page and I remembered the very nice lady by the name of Rebekah Vaughan, who works for Pierce county.  I can't remember the name of her program, but she brought several young ladies to help us load up all the bins into the truck and return them to the storage unit.  These young ladies worked their tails off and did an awesome job.  Thank you.

In final closing, for now,  I want you all to know I have your names listed on this blog not only to brag about how wonderful you all are, but also so I can remember to call you this year.  I am so excited already I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.  It is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun preparing for each event.  

Sending big hugs and lots of thanks to you all!!

Grampa Bill & Gramma Gail