Toy for Toy drive kicks off 20th year in Carleton Place

For its 20th year running, The Toy for Toy Drive is well underway in Carleton Place for the 2024 holiday season.

This initiative is spearheaded by Peter Porteous of All Purpose Towing and Auto Sales, who says he started this undertaking all those years ago to teach his children how important it is to give back to those in need.

Porteous told Lanarkist, “It has grown a lot every year. Last year we almost filled a cube van! We get lots of community support and we match every toy donated. With every food bank donation, we also put your name in a draw to win this kids 2025 Camaro toy.”

Those dropping off toys can also donate an item for the food bank to be eligible for the 2025 Camaro toy draw. 

Thanks to an inspiring number of community donations, Porteous was able to donate approximately 2,000 toys last year to local families in need of a little extra help over the holidays. Porteous shared that he feels confident that they will meet last year’s amount again, if not surpass it. The collected toys are donated to Family and Children’s Services of Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville, who then distribute these gifts throughout the community.

This year, Porteous is collaborating with Trillium Family Chiropractic, which expressed its pride in being a drop-off center for this great cause. New and unwrapped toys, as well as food bank donations can be dropped off until Nov. 30 at 390 Flora Street, Carleton Place.