By SHERRY DIGMON
News Publisher
When members of the Atmore Memorial VFW Auxiliary decided to hold a stuffed animal drive, they had no idea what to expect. They didn’t know if they’d have one animal donated – or a hundred. Turns out they had 300 donated!
The Auxiliary wanted to collect new and gently used stuffed animals for first responders to give children involved in emergency / traumatic situations. Three members, Jenny Hutto, President Jackey Odom, and Sandra Odom set up tables at Heritage Park Saturday, September 16, and waited. They didn’t have to wait long. By the time they ended the drive at 2 p.m., they had two tables and several large black bags full of stuffed animals.
“We are thrilled with the turnout,” Jenny said. “We were not sure what to expect but the community showed up to support us and our first responders. We can’t wait to distribute the stuffed animals so that they can be used. Three hundred kids will be comforted during an emergency because of a caring community. The Atmore VFW Auxiliary thanks the community and we hope to do this again next year.”