First responders donate thousands of toys to kids in need

PLYMOUTH MEETING, P.A. (WPVI) -- First responders from Montgomery to Chester County donated thousands of toys to children in the hospital Saturday, as part of the 15th annual Operation Christmas Kids Toy Run.

The event, organized by Plymouth Community Ambulance Association, brings together first responders from across Philadelphia and the suburbs to bring joy to kids who will spend the holidays away from home.

Volunteers filled boxes and bags with Barbie's and basketballs. They packed ambulances and fire trucks to the brim to "support the community in a different way that's usually not seen," said JR Pascua, an EMT.

First responders JR Pascua and Christine Williams volunteered for this worthy cause. It's one of Christine's favorite days of the year

"Love all the smiling faces. We get to interact with the community. We also get to interact with the other squads in the area," said Williams.

Plymouth Community Ambulance Association Chief Thomas Trojansky started this in honor of his son who spent time in the NICU at Bryn Mawr Hospital. The toys will go to children spending their Christmas there and at St. Christophers Hospital .

"We bring well over five, six thousand presents to the different hospitals that we go to. It's just amazing. it's a wonderful event," said Trojansky.

Over the last 15 years, the event has certainly grown, both in terms of the party, with visits from Santa and live music, to the number of companies involved.

"Most of the people you're going to see out here today, they're all of the frontline workers, the first responders, the medics, the EMTs, the firefighters, the law enforcement, the police," said Trojansky.

With so many agencies apart from Plymouth Community Ambulance involved, there's an added benefit too. It lets all of the first responders get together on a happy day where the only mission is to bring joy.

"It's a day that they know they're going to go into work and they're going to celebrate and have a great time and bring a smile, not only to themselves and go home with a smile without seeing any tragedy like they're used to seeing, but they're going to bring a smile to a child's face in a hospital," said Trojansky.