BYRON CENTER, Mich. - The annual Toys for Tots campaign almost didn't happen this year, but thanks to a Kent County company stepping up to donate some un-used warehouse space, thousands of kids will continue to find toys under the tree this holiday season.
Earlier this fall, 13 On Your Side put out a plea asking for warehouse space.
Shae Hickman, who is the Human Resource Director at Flow-Rite Controls, saw the post on Juliet Dragos' Facebook wall.
"When I read the post, I thought we have the perfect space in the back of our plant that could be used for this," said Hickman. "I spoke with members of our senior leadership team and they said, 'Do it.'"
Since the early part of November, the giant warehouse at Flow-Rite Controls has been inundated with thousands of toys. Volunteers have been coming in during the evenings to help sort, pack and count all the toys before they go to distribution.
"We actually bring in the Toys for Tots boxes every year and we contribute to the campaign," said Hickman. "Our involvement this year is on a much grander scale and we're thrilled that we have this space available for them to use."
Flow-Rite Controls is a manufacturing company located in Byron Center, Mi., which designs and makes and markets fluid control devices for lead acid batteries, recreational fishing boats, and hydroponics.
This year, they can add the toy business to their repertoire.
"We love the opportunity to have been able to help with this in this way," added Hickman. "We're a firm believer in giving back to the community, and if we have the space available next year, we will offer it to Toys for Toys again, should they need it."
13 On Your Side has been a long-time partner with Toys for Tots. If you want to learn more about the campaign, perhaps where you can drop off an unwrapped toy, click HERE.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.