After his hockey team folded, Aurora high school student Michael Melissas decided to step up and set up his own holiday season toy drive.
Melissas, 17, is a Grade 12 student at Aurora High School, where he’s running a toy drive. He seeks donations from his classmates of new, unopened toys or other essential items like toiletries, for children ages three to 18, to give to those in need over the Holiday season.
Melissas usually would be involved with fundraisers with his hockey team, the Aurora Tigers, around this time of year, where he’s played for teams from age seven to 17. But this year the team for his age group folded, and in its wake, Melissas decided to set up his own fundraiser, “to try to make some kids’ holidays.”
“We underestimate how much things cost and how there are kids, there are families out there that don’t have enough money to open gifts on Christmas,” he said. “I think back to the ecstasy I would get as a kid, opening a gift on Christmas, it made me feel so happy, so you’ve got to think about those kids.”
Melissas is spearheading the campaign. He has set up an Instagram account for promotion, and is making daily announcements at the school. Donations are being dropped off in a large collection box in the high school’s main office.
From there, they will go to the Salvation Army as part of its annual Toy Mountain campaign.
The toy drive kicked off on Nov. 20 and is running until Wednesday, Dec. 18.
More information can be found online.
