Mayor’s Toy and Food Drive Delivers Cheer in Sea Isle

By MADDY VITALE To find out a bit about Sea Isle City, what the people are like, what they value, all anyone has to do is look at Mayor Leonard Desiderio’s Holiday Toy & Food Drive. On Thursday, as with the 29 years before, volunteers came out to help Desiderio and the mayor’s assistant, Pattiann Ponichtera, who has led the event for the past 26 years. “Once again, the generous people of Sea Isle City have exceeded our expectations. The amount of toys, food and gift cards will make many people happy this year,” Desiderio said as he helped load carts with gift bags filled with treats to make the holiday a bit brighter for local families. Volunteers work to pack up items in City Hall to deliver. Each year with the help of Desiderio's daughter, Carmela, and a host of other helper “elves,” volunteers pack up and deliver donations that pour in from the community. This year, the bags were going to 12 families in need. Each package was stuffed with age-appropriate gifts and lots of non-perishable foods. Plush toys from old favorites such as Charlie Brown and Snoopy, and teddy bears to games, basketballs and soccer balls and other presents overflowed from the bags. Families, businesses and private organizations also gave cash donations. Wrapped gifts in festive bags fill the room. City employee Christie Ostrander said of the abundance of gifts and food, “This year, we got an extra amount of toys, including bicycles, electronics, sports equipment and a lot of gift cards." She said this year, especially, they wanted to get more things to give to the older kids. "The teens love the gift cards,” Ostrander noted. VFW Post 1963 under Commander Mark Lloyd and his wife, Auxiliary President Patti Lloyd, lend support in the toy and food drive every year. They helped load up the packages Thursday, which also included many turkeys courtesy of the Lloyds. “It’s really the meaning of Christmas, helping those less fortunate,” Mark Lloyd said. “The mayor has created such a great event and we are proud to be a part of it.” This year marks the 30th year of the toy and food drive. Photographer Jerry Hussar and his wife, Kathi, who are formerly of Sea Isle, donate to the worthy cause each year. They give proceeds from Jerry's calendars that he creates with photos capturing many events and landscapes in the resort. Last year, the Hussars donated $485 toward the mayor's toy and food drive and this year they gave a $585 donation. “We know what a great cause it is,” Jerry Hussar said. “And we love Sea Isle.” To learn more about events happening in Sea Isle City, go to https://www.visitsicnj.com/ From left, Mayor Leonard Desiderio, Pattiann Ponichtera, Jerry Hussar and Santa pose for a photo.