McCook Toybox geared up for continued Christmas tradition

Santa's "head elf" Bill Stewart, top foreground, right, and his core of bike-and-trike volunteers work on the cable brakes of a girl's 10-speed bike, preparing it for the 2005 McCook Toy Box give-away. Lending another six hands are, clockwise from foreground left, Dick Dike, Bob McBride and Rex Morrell. Morrell is in his seventh year as a Toy Box volunteer. McBride is in his fifth and Dike is in his second. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette)

By Connie Jo Discoe

Regional Editor

Forty years ago, Bill Stewart of McCook repaired one donated bicycle and put together one new wagon for a Christmas toy give-away that his employer, Sharon Snyder, owner of Cornbelt Chemical Co., wanted to start.

Forty years later, for the 2005 Christmas Toy Box give-away, Bill -- now affectionately called "Santa's Head Elf" -- and his helper elves have assembled or repaired 165 bikes, 12 tricycles, 16 wagons and eight scooters.

The gift give-away started as a joint effort of Snyder and McCook veterinarian and humanitarian, Dr. Joe Magrath. Bill, who worked for Snyder, said Snyder paid her drivers during the off-season to work on donated bikes and trikes.

Because of a conflict over trade name rights, the name of McCook's project changed from "Toys for Tots" to "McCook Toy Box" 24 years ago.

The McCook project continues to gather gently-used toys, dolls, games, bikes and trikes to be clothed and cleaned, built or rebuilt, to be given away for Christmas gifts.

The non-profit organization is successful, sponsors say, because of the many volunteers who offer their time and talent to help others. Fixing bikes, making doll clothes and sorting and cleaning donated gifts and toys are just a few of the ways volunteers help the Toy Box.

Bill said that each year the Toy Box receives many, many generous gift, toy and monetary donations, many from donors who support the project year after year.

Organizers use monetary donations to purchase materials and supplies, bike parts and batteries.

Some of the donated funds are used to purchase new gifts, an assortment from which parents and grandparents can select gifts "from Santa" for their children and grandchildren.

Bill said his "helper elves" -- a core of six volunteers -- logged 3,500 hours repairing, painting, assembling and/or reassembling bikes and trikes last year. The "core elves" are Rex Morrell, Bob McBride, Roger Brush, Leland Kleckner, Dick Dike and Roger Musgrave.

Offenders from the Nebraska Department of Corrections Work Ethic Camp, who volunteer their time and labor, logged 1,500 hours last year.

The give-away is Sunday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m., at the Army National Guard armory at 404 W. Seventh in McCook.

"Anyone at all ... anyone with a need ... is welcome to come to the give-away," Bill said.