By CASEY NEILL
IT WAS Christmas in July as a steady stream of toys filled Dandenong RSL during an annual toy drive on Saturday.
The National Servicemen’s Association of Australia’s (NSAA) south-east sub-branch co-ordinated the collection on 11 July.
Sub-branch president Mike Smith said the Salvation Army Toy Bank would distribute the secondhand and new toys at Christmas time.
“We have a long association with the Salvation Army, right back to the days when they were all in National Service and CMF (Citizens’ Military Forces),” he said.
“That was back when we were teenagers.
“We’ve been doing this with them for 11 years now.
“This was probably the biggest amount of toys that we’ve had.”
Mr Smith’s sub-branch raised money to buy toys from Kids Room in Swift Way, Dandenong South.
“They look after us because we go there every year,” he said.
He said the NSAA had raised more than 60,000 toys that the Salvos and other organisation distributed to needy kids at Christmas.
“Most of these kids have never seen presents – birthday presents or Christmas presents,” he said.
“Most of them are in a situation where they’ve either got no parents or only one parent and they don’t have any money.”
