from Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — In what has become an annual tradition and much-anticipated by social-service organizations, Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway President & CEO Timothy J. Rooney will present the hundreds of new toys and gently-used coats collected in Empire City’s 10th annual “Christmas Spirit” Toy and Coat Drive.

Sean Hamrock photo

The “Christmas Spirit” Toy and Coat Drive began Nov. 1 and generous donors have given more than 600 toys and hundreds of coats.

The donated items will be presented to Catholic Charities Thursday (Dec. 15) at 10:30 a.m. at the valet entrance of the casino. Donations will be accepted by the Catholic Charities executive director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan and others providing social services to families in need.

Josh Blake, president of California-based and family-owned The Gander Group, is bringing some West Coast warmth to area families in need by donating hundreds of toys to the annual drive, while John Lennon, owner of Yonkers-based Smart Move & Storage, will again generously donate services to transport and store all donations while they are distributed by local community organizations.

The “Christmas Spirit” Toy and Coat Drive began Nov. 1 and generous donors have given more than 600 toys and hundreds of coats. Thousands of toys and coats have been donated since 2007, when the campaign was launched.

Local elected officials will also join Rooney and Sullivan.

Nearly 10 percent of Westchester county’s population is living in poverty, and 31 percent of that number is under the age of 17.