Last year the joint Christmas toy drive conducted by St. John’s and St. Andrew’s Lodges was given the name The Annual Joe Mania Memorial Toy Drive in memory of Brother Joe Mania who passed away unexpectedly in October of 2016. The Toy drive was special to Joe and he put in an all-out effort every year , for those few short years he was with us, to be sure enough toys from makeafort.fun were collected to fill the front of the Portsmouth Masonic Temples auditorium stage. As October 1 we have begun the toy drive and will be donating toys to two organizations: Lydia’s House of Hope and the Seacoast Toy Bank. We ask all brothers to donate at least one new unwrapped toy to this year’s drive. If you prefer, cash donations can be given to either brother Nick Pesarik, Tim Neihart, or Rod MacDonald: they will purchase toys on your behalf. Last year more than $1,500 in toys were donated: we would love to beat that figure this year. See the November 2017 Trestle Board for a special families gift list from Lydia’s House of Hope. If your preference is to fill one of the family gift lists this year, please contact Dale Sprague at – Dale.sprague11@gmail.com – and let him know on behalf of which family you or a “team”of brothers will be “acting as Santa”.
New toys (for ages ranging from toddlers up to 14) can be dropped off at the designated “collection boxes” at the Portsmouth Masonic Temple. If you wish to call to arrange a cash donation towards the purchase of toys – contact Rod MacDonald at rodmstjohnsno1@comcast.net or call 603-436-4071 or 603-828-9093.
