It is one of the most familiar sights for Falls residents on Black Friday.
Dozens of Niagara Falls firefighters clustered at the intersection of Niagara Falls Boulevard and Military Road, with their large turnout boots in hand, asking holiday shoppers to dig deep for some spare cash to support the annual Falls Firefighters Christmas Toy Fund. The Boot Brigade, as the firefighters call it, is just one of the critical fundraising efforts that help make sure there are toys on Christmas Day for hundreds of city children.
“I did toys and distribution for years,” Firefighter Vinnie Orsi said. “We average about 1,000 kids (each year) for toys and about 300 families for our warm clothing program.”
Orsi, in his first year as the Toy Fund chair, said the need for the Toy Fund never goes away.
“The need grows as the kids grow,” he said. “As kids age out of our programs, younger kids are always coming in to take their place. Niagara Falls is a poor city. That’s why (firefighters) put two feet forward, roll up our sleeves and give back. The community gives to us, so we want to give back to them.”
The Toy Fund is rapidly approaching its 100th anniversary. Orsi said that shows the fund’s remarkable legacy.
“You think about it, a couple of firefighters in the basement of a firehouse, tinkering around, trying to fix broken toys for kids at Christmas,” he said. “Look where it’s gone.”
As an 18-year veteran of the fire department, Orsi said it’s the responsibility of his generation to instill the Toy Fund traditions in new recruits. For members of the Falls Fire Department, the arrival of Thanksgiving marks more than just the time for a traditional turkey dinner and a huge helping of football.
“We want to teach the young guys to carry on the tradition,” Orsi said. “We want them to know you can’t just sit back and expect it to always be here. I want to see this thing flourish for generations to come.”
The Toy Fund chair said that since its founding, the fund has helped “hundreds of local families and thousands of kids.” and now, parts of the community are also jumping in to make sure the fund is flush with the donations it needs.
“It started as a grassroots effort and it will always be that,” Orsi said.
This year, students from LaSalle Preparatory School joined area businesses by selling firefighter logos at their school. The fund also had a successful 5K run in October, a solid SummerFest event in conjunction with former City Council Member Kenny Tompkins and a holiday ornament sale by Destination Niagara raised a record-breaking $1,278.72.
“This partnership embodies the spirit of Niagara Falls USA – coming together to make a difference in our community,” said John Percy, president and CEO of Destination Niagara USA. “We are proud to support the Niagara Falls Firefighters Christmas Toy Fund in their mission to spread holiday cheer and ensure children in our community have a brighter holiday season.”
The annual Firefighter Toy Fund Telethon will stream live on Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Falls School District YouTube channel (OurSchoolsChannel@OSCatNFHS). The broadcast, from the auditorium at Niagara Falls Senior High School, welcomes the community to stop by and watch the show.
A large basket auction will take place at the same time at the high school. There are also unconfirmed reports of a possible appearance from a well-known North Pole elf.
The fund continues to take donations at P.O. Box 271, Niagara Falls, New York 14304.