Toys for Tickets raises $28,000 in toys over past decade

Mayor Steve Clarke presented two local charities with $2,973 in children’s toys collected through the 10^th annual Toys for Tickets campaign.

Representatives from the local chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and North Simcoe Victim Crisis Services were presented the toys donated by members of the community in lieu of paying parking tickets in the Mayor’s office Monday morning.

“For ten years, the City of Orillia has provided the opportunity for people to turn unwanted parking tickets into wanted toys for children in need over the holiday season,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “Toys for Tickets has been a longstanding tradition for the City, but it is the generosity of those donating the toys that make the campaign a success every year. Thank you.”

Toys for Tickets invited every person who received a parking ticket (with the exception of accessible parking violations) in the City of Orillia between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1, 2015, to pay the fine amount by donating a new children’s toy of equal or greater value. Toys were collected at City Centre until Dec. 4.

“The Christmas season can be a strenuous time especially for families who are on fixed incomes or are enduring other financial pressures,” said Tara Treash, Vice-President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Orillia. “The toys collected by the City of Orillia will be offered to our Orillia area families who struggle to provide during this season. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul would like to warmly thank the City of Orillia for their generous Toys for Tickets campaign and their demonstration of helping the less fortunate in our community."

Over the past 10 years, the City of Orillia Toys for Tickets campaign has generated more than $28,000 worth of new toys in lieu of payment for parking tickets.

The City of Orillia is a city of 31,000 people in the heart of Ontario’s Lake Country on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Visit our website at orillia.ca.

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Frances Yarbrough
Executive Director
North Simcoe Victim Crisis Services
705-325-5578
nsvcs@encode.com

Tara Treash
Vice-President
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Orillia
705-326-2849 ext. 132
t.treash@hotmail.com

Shawn Crawford
Manager of Legislative Services
705-329-7234
scrawford@orillia.ca

Jennifer Ruff
Manager of Communications
705-325-8929
705-238-9209 (cell)
jruff@orillia.ca