Here are a few photos to go along with the story!
Despite a day full of events all over Payson and surrounding communities, there was a tremendous turn-out for this year’s Barbie Hensler Memorial Toy Drive.
For more than 2 decades the Greater Payson Moose Lodge #852 in Star Valley has been responsible for creating the lists, checking them twice, and distributing the toys and gifts collected to families in need at Christmas time. In the past, the toys were collected by the High Country Chapter of ABATE of Arizona but that chapter has moved to Show Low where they already have a toy drive to manage. So this year, the Moose Lodge was also responsible for collecting the toys, and with a lot of help from the community, was able to do a fantastic job!
Between the music, the wonderful spaghetti dinner provided by the Moose Lodge, a lively bar, and dozens of friends that only seem to meet at the toy drive each year, it was definitely a party atmosphere. Fund raising consisted of raffle prizes, a silent auction for donated artwork, jewelry, festive baskets and even services, a LIVE auction for a gift Certificate from Gila Hogs that raised $400 all by itself, a $600 Golf Package that was raffled, 50/50 drawing, and donations, the event raised a little over $5,000. This amount, added to earlier fund raising efforts by the Moose Lodge, brought the total to just under $8,000 and, at last count, with a couple of toy boxes still needing to be picked up, there were about 22 large moving boxes overflowing with toys and gifts to help out Rim Country families this Christmas.
It is truly wonderful to live in a community where so many give so much to make sure everyone has a Merry Christmas.
