The Chautauqua County Town and Village Highway Superintendents Association held its annual toy drive collection event Wednesday, at the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club. The donations benefit the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. Pictured, from left, Greg Hallberg, Rob Carlson, Dennis Sweatman, Major John Merchant and Major Kim Merchant. P-J Photo by Christopher Blakeslee

The Chautauqua County Town and Village Highway Superintendents Association donated a massive collection of toys to the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program at the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club on Wednesday to help less fortunate children in the county to celebrate Christmas this year.

Each year, the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program provides Christmas gifts for each child of low-income and “at-risk” families who participate in the program. The program involves children’s names being placed on tags on an “Angel Tree” that is displayed at various local businesses.

Members of the Chautauqua County Town and Village Highway Superintendents Association have been helping support the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program for 20 years now.

“It’s been close to if not more than 20 or so years we’ve been partnering up with the Salvation Army,” said Greg Hallberg, Ellery highway superintendent and 2024 State Association president of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways. “This is more than what we did last year, every year the donations get bigger and bigger.”

Additionally, the benefactor organization’s representatives are always grateful and thankful for the gifts these “men of the road” confer upon the Salvation Army, year after year.

“We are grateful for these wonderful gifts,” said Maj. Kim Merchant, a corps officer with the Salvation Army. “Each year it seems they give more and more. This is our 11th year doing this event for my husband and I; we find age-appropriate gifts for any angel that hasn’t been taken off our tree and use these gifts to fill that need.”

For more information on the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program contact them at (716) 664-4108.