Students at Maple Ridge Secondary are hoping the community will come out and support their annual toy drive this year.
Circle of Indigenous Youth and Allies, (CIYA), will be holding the fifth annual Rambo's Toy Drive on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Teacher Sherri Britton, who originated the drive, laughs at the amount of years they have been holding the event.
"We started the toy drive quite a few years ago but, to be honest, I have no idea when," she admitted.
"When we got to what may or may not have been year six, I decided that we would just go with '5th annual' and it has been the 5th annual ever since," explained Britton.
Last year Britton said their toy donations dropped dramatically, collecting only a quarter of what they normally received. In previous years they were able to support close to 50 families with the donations they received.
The goal this year is to once again support that amount of families again.
Students will be accepting toy, gift card, and cash donations, all of which will go to local families in need for Christmas. The older students at MRSS will give the toys to the staff and students at Eric Langton Elementary, where they have created a list of families in need in the community.
The reason the drive is done in this way is to give the older students an opportunity to interact with the younger children.
"We are an indigenous leadership group, we do a teaching about humility for the older students. The idea is that they do the work and then humbly, pass the donations on to the younger students to distribute. That teaches them that they can do the work, and feel good about it, without necessarily being acknowledged for it," explained Britton.
Britton also noted that event though they are an Indigenous leadership group, donations will go to support anyone in need.
A core group of about 20 students will be accepting new, unused toys, gift cards, and cash from 8-8:40 a.m. in a drive-through format at the front of the school so people who wish to donate need only pull up.
There will be live music provided by the school choir.
Maple Ridge Secondary is located at 21911 122 Ave., Maple Ridge.
