ARRL holiday toy drive for Florida youngsters in full swing
October 22,
2004 -- Ham radio clubs and individual amateurs across the US have indicated
they'll be taking part in ARRL's recently announced nationwide holiday toy
drive to benefit children in Florida displaced or left homeless in the wake of
recent hurricanes. Joanne Ramsey, KB1KWJ, one of the hurricane relief/recovery
volunteers working in Central Florida, saw the devastation and the need
following Hurricane Ivan.
"This is really going to make a
difference for those children," she said. "I still see the images of
hungry little faces I was not able to feed. The sadness in their eyes was very
hard for me to deal with." Thousands of families are without a permanent
place to live, and that situation could well extend into the holiday season.
"For a child suddenly living out of a tent, or car, or someone else's
home, the 2004 holiday season will be anything but jolly," said ARRL
Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. "But hams across the country
are coming to their rescue in a second new way through the League's
program."
Between now and Thanksgiving, November 25,
hams radio operators throughout the US are invited to send new children's toys,
accompanied by a QSL card, to Ham Radio, The United Way White Dove Project, 50
Kindred St - Suite 207, Stuart, FL 34994. Carol Hodnett, of Martin County
United Way, said the hurricanes and their aftermath have been especially
traumatic for children. "In addition to the frightening experience of
going through the hurricanes," she pointed out, "youngsters are
coping with a great deal of stress felt within their families and at
school." Martin County United Way is handling the toy distribution. Pitts
said the focus is on Central Florida communities because they took the brunt of
the three storms.
Additional details about the Hams for Toys
program are on the ARRL Web site.
Page last modified: 03:52 PM, 22 Oct 2004 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Previous: Draft Bandwidth Petition, BPL Focus of ARRL Executive Committee Meeting
Next: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending October 16, 2004
