NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF ORILLIA
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Help the City of Orillia turn parking tickets into toys as we kick off the Toys for Tickets campaign on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
The campaign invites every person who receives a parking ticket (with the exception of accessible parking violations) in the City of Orillia between Nov. 1 and Dec.1, 2024 to pay the fine amount by donating a new children’s toy of equal or greater value. Since the annual event started in 2006, more than $46,000 in toys has been donated to local charity groups in lieu of parking tickets.
“For nearly two decades the Toys for Tickets campaign has brought our community together to help support those in need during the holiday season,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “We encourage anyone who receives a parking ticket during the campaign to bring in a new children’s toy in lieu of paying the fine. Your generous donation will help see that local families can experience the joy of the holiday season.”
To donate, bring your parking ticket along with an unwrapped toy in its original packaging and proof of purchase to the Finance counter on the first floor of Orillia City Centre (50 Andrew St. S.) by Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. The counter is open between 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The value of the toy must be equal to, or exceed, the amount owing on the fine.
Toys collected will be donated to the local chapter of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia and District, Couchiching Jubilee House, and The Salvation Army.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia is so grateful to be included in this initiative once again. Our agency is community funded and community focused and we are continuously blown away by the generosity and support our community provides us with. Thank you to the City of Orillia and The Toys for Tickets program for helping us put more smiles on more children’s faces this holiday season,” said Haleigh Payne, Fundraising and Community Development Coordinator, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia and District.
“The Salvation Army Orillia is excited to be part of the Toys for Tickets campaign this year. The toys will be used for their Christmas Hamper Program, which helped 579 households last year, and provided toys and gifts to 1,078 children in our community. We are amazed by the generosity that the Orillia community offers to those in need,” said Captain Josh Howard, Corps Officer for The Salvation Army Orillia Citadel.
For more information on the Toys for Tickets campaign, visit orillia.ca/ToysForTickets or call 705-325-1311.
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