More than 5,000 toys to be distributed to Memorial Day Tornado victims today

Meghan Porter and daughter Gemma,6, of Beavercreek stand in front of a damaged apartment complex. Porter said her childhood home in Beavercreek was destroyed. BILL LACKEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Meghan Porter and daughter Gemma,6, of Beavercreek stand in front of a damaged apartment complex. Porter said her childhood home in Beavercreek was destroyed. BILL LACKEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

There was an overwhelmingly positive response to the call for toy donations for victims of the Memorial Day Tornadoes.

Organizers of a toy drive wanted to give children something to take their mind off the tragedy.

“We never anticipated the amount of donations we would receive,” Dayton Inspires founder Matthew Sliver said in a news release. “I think that speaks to how willing this community is to give. If we can bring joy to the families that have lost so much, even for a day, we’ve done good work.”

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Dayton Inspires, a grassroots community alliance, has partnered with the city of Trotwood and The Living City Project to distribute the more than 5,000 toys that were collected. On Monday, July 1, the bags of toys valued at more than $100 each will be distributed at Madison Park Elementary located at 301 S. Broad St. in Trotwood at 1 p.m.

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Anyone affected by the Memorial Day storm are welcome to participate and receive donations, including victims from outside of Trotwood.

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With over 5,000 toys collected for the Tornado Toy Relief, Dayton Inspires hopes to have enough extra following the toy drive to donate to various non-profits to give new toys to underprivileged children during the holidays, according to a Dayton Inspires press release.

Those interested in receiving toy donations for Christmas can contact Dayton Inspires through their website https://daytoninspires.com/ to inquire about donation availability.

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