On Saturday, December 10, from 10 am to 2 pm, Newtown police officers will be stationed outside two local stores, accepting donations for Toys For Tots.

Officers will be outside TJ Maxx in Sand Hill Plaza, 228 South Main Street, and The Toy Tree, 14 Church Hill Road.

All types of toys will be accepted, and then donated to the US Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots Program.

The mission of the program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November, and December each year, and then distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the Toys For Tots campaign is conducted, according to the program's website, toysfortots.org.

Ongoing Collections

In addition to the Newtown PD collection on December 10, drop stations have been set up locally for this holiday season. New unwrapped toys for ages 12 and under are requested Toys For Tots; the program prefers to not accept realistic-looking weapons and gifts with food.

Newtown resident Dave Silber, who is serving as the area coordinator for the Marine Corps Reserve, says the following locations are available as of December 1:

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, 84 South Main Street;

Coldwell Banker, 45 South Main Street;

Dodgingtown Market & Deli, 57 Dodgingtown Road;

Hubbell Wiring Systems, 14 Prospect Drive;

The Learning Experience, 274 South Main Street (within Plaza South);

The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road;

Newtown MediSpa, 123 South Main Street (Highland Plaza);

Newtown Savings Bank, at both 39 Main Street (its main branch) and 228 South Main Street (within Sand Hill Plaza);

PhysicianOne Urgent Care, 266 South Main Street (Plaza South);

Popowich Chiropractic, 71 South Main Street (Ricky's Shopping Center);

Sherwin-Williams Paint, 255 South Main Street (Waterfall Plaza);

The Vein Institute, 33 Church Hill Road; and

Wireless Zone of Newtown, 228 South Main Street (Sand Hill Plaza).

The official pickup for the Newtown area, according to Mr Silber, is scheduled for December 17.

For additional information contact Mr Silber at 203-438-4333 or .dave4handyman@gmail.com