Toys for Tots Drive another incredible success

In what's become a semi-annual success story, our Toys for Tots drive this year brought in over 750 toys all of which will stay in our community. In this year of COVID we had an abbreviated collection period and not as much advertising as we normally do. But our incredible town responded as it always does with a flood of toys, most of which were bigger than last year's toys!

Besides my office on F Street, we had a number of great drop-off locations. Maria and Ivan Jadric at Tehachapi Martial Arts with the help of Outsource Utility Corporation added hundreds to the total. Some of our regular locations like Country Real Estate, Tehachapi Area Association of Realtors, City of Tehachapi, Bank of the West and Tehachapi Treasure Trove added tons more toys! In our shortened season we added some new locations. Thanks go to Circle K, Bear Valley Realty, Miramar International, Francisco Garcia Edward Jones and the Tehachapi Police Department.

We will be doing the drawing this week for prizes! Every toy donation gives the donator a chance at a prize drawing. Hats off to Stuart Nacht at Sage Ranch for donating the big screen TV. Also, thanks go out to Barbara Ferrante at Jake's Steakhouse and Mano and Mei Mei Lujan at Red House for donating prizes. We also had Margaret at Mill Street Kitchen donating one of their holiday pies!

Assuming we're past COVID by July, we'll be doing our "Christmas in July" drive and get together. Santa will be there in his customary beard, hat and since it is summer, Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops.

Thank you, thank you to our wonderful town and everyone who makes this such a success, including my incredible staff for counting and doing all the leg work involved. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!

Marty Pay at Farmers Insurance has been organizing the Toy's for Tot's drive for a number of years! He has been a local agent for over 30 years! He and his staff are located at 212 W. F St.