•December 30, 2015•

By Mike Brothers

People, get ready the train’s a comin’, you don’t need no ticket, ya just get on board”.

Not just a lyric from a popular song , but it was a call to collect for the Toys are Tots train in this area.

That train brought Toys for Tots back to Moultrie County where they  collected 360 toys in Sullivan, Bethany and Lovington.

Moultrie County Toys for Tots coordinator Ric Kenney said in this return year for the U.S. Marine Corp based program 179 children in Moultrie County received toys or books from the program.

One way people were able to help without buying toys was to purchase a train at participating locations for $1.00. Names go on the trains which were displayed at the Toys for Tots business location.

Drop boxes at the Sullivan IGA, First National Bank of Sullivan, First Mid Illinois State Bank & Trust and Scott State Bank generated the bulk of toys collected.

Kenney noted Christmas week they were still picking up toys which they were still delivering on Christmas Day.

“When I took the final box check at IGA in Sullivan, people were still dropping off toys (December 22),” Kenney said.

He explained that monetary collections went for the purchase of new toys and books.      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.