Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater says the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Toys for Tots program helped out families in eight communities in the area, last Friday evening. Between 5-p.m. and 8-p.m. Frida toys were handed out to 58 different children who were signed up through the Sheriff’s Office. The donation drive collected enough toys to provide for approximately 200 children. The Sheriff says “We surpassed our donations last year by approximately two and a half times. This was the first year for the Adair County Sheriff’s Office to be a distribution point and/or to hand out toys, and I think it went extremely well.”

Deputy James Paup, a former active duty Marine, spearheads the Toys for Tots toy drive.

Two deputies, a jailer, an off duty civil clerk, a Greenfield Police Officer, two of their spouses along with the Sheriff came in that night to help in the handing out of the toys.  Vandewater says “It was a fun, positive experience and was a great opportunity to interact with adults and kids alike on a totally positive basis with the goal of helping make Christmas just a little bit better for some children in our community.”