The Wheeling Police Department is once again teaming up with the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office to host the fourth annual Operation Toy Lift on Saturday, December 5 at the Ohio Valley Mall in Saint Clairsville.
Donation drop offs will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot across from Ferguson’s House of Furniture. The theme for Operation Toy Lift continues to be “Raising Hope for Kids in the Ohio Valley.”
Those wishing to join in on the event can simply purchase a new toy – for ages ranging from infant to teenager and drop off to the volunteers on site. Grabbing the public’s attention in the ‘Toy Lift’ will be various local community members.
Toys will be distributed to those in need through the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley.
All workers and volunteers with the operation will be following local COVID-19 health guidelines and will be wearing masks at the drop off site. Those wishing to donate can simply hand the donation out their window or put the donation in their car trunk so there is little to no contact with volunteers collecting the toys.
If anyone wishes to make a monetary donation, please write a check to the United Way for the Upper Ohio Valley and writing in the memo line “Toy Lift.”
For a second year, Operation Toy Lift is hoping to have a friendly competition between schools in Belmont, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties. Each have been challenged to raise funds during the month of November that will be donated to the United Way and Operation Toy Lift. The schools that raise the most money – one from Ohio and one from West Virginia – will be presented a trophy to keep for one year, until the following year. In addition to the trophy, the winning school will be represented by their Superintendent, Principal or designee in the lift on the day of the event. However, with COVID-19 restrictions and remote learning, this may be delayed until the 2021 school year.
This year’s participants in the Toy Lift are:
10-10:30 David Bloomquist – 1170 WWVA-AM
10:30-11 Robert Thomas – Thomas Auto Center
11-11:30 Chief Deputy Jim Zusack – Belmont County Sheriff’s Office
11:30-Noon Jeff Felton – Belmont County Job & Family Services
Noon-12:30 Taylor Long – WTRF-TV
12:30-1 Chief Larry Helms – Wheeling Fire Department
1-1:30 Chad Thalman – Wheeling City Council
1:30-2 Jennifer Compston-Strough – The Times Leader Newspaper
2-2:30 Sheriff Dave Lucas – Belmont County Sheriff’s Office
2:30-3 Rich Lucas – Main Street Bank
3-3:30 West Virginia School Winner
3:30-4 Ohio School Winner
In addition to the law enforcement agencies, partner’s for this year’s event include the City of Wheeling, Wheeling Fire Department, Cumberland Trail Fire Department, Belmont County Student Services, United Way for the Upper Ohio Valley, Ohio Valley Mall, Boscov’s, iHeartRadio, Ohio Valley Oil and Gas Association, Bill’s Towing, Information Helpline, Tricor, American Electric Power, A Special Wish Foundation, ICR Equipment Rental and WTRF-TV.
