Coaldale’s Emergency Services collecting toys for families in need

Posted on November 27, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Town of Coaldale Emergency Services are helping put a smile on children’s faces this holiday season, with the fourth annual Toys for Tots collection.  

Emergency service workers from the Town of Coaldale fire department, peace officers and the RCMP will be collecting toys along Main Street Nov. 28, starting at 6:45 p.m. during the town’s annual Country Christmas Night of Lights. 

  “The Night of Lights parade starts at  7 p.m. but we start at 6:45 p.m. so we lead off the lead off ahead of the parade and we’ll gather toys as we walk along the parade route, along 20th Ave.,” said Mark Anderson, manager of bylaw and regulatory services for the Town of Coaldale and Toys for Tots organizer. “If people bring along a toy, there’ll be RCMP, fire fighters, municipal enforcement and community peace officers out there with bags to gather toys.” 

Anderson said they collect the toys for two local organizations and this year, there is a big need for toys for children ages 10 and older. Some of those toys could include board games, (interactive) learning games or action figures.  

“We collect for the food bank, who distributes a number of the toys for us and we also collect for FCSS (Family and Community Support Services),” he said, noting that everything collected, whether it’s toys, clothing or hygiene items, will go to good use. “There’s nothing that comes in that isn’t used for a family and people in need.” 

Since the Toys for Tots collection began several years ago, the community has rallied behind it, noted Anderson, pointing out the large number of toys collected from Coaldale residents each year. 

“We’ve been in excess of 400 donations every year,” said Anderson, adding that 

several years ago emergency services saw a need in the community to help families and children at Christmas and stepped-up to help. 

“It was my first year when I started with emergency services (in Coaldale) and it was something I wanted to bring forward, to give back to the community,” said Anderson.

The Toys for Tots collection during the Night of Lights is just one way emergency services contribute during the holidays, said Anderson, noting the idea is in addition to their toy collection with Red Apple every year. 

“We have a stuff the truck event at the Red Apple. We did this (Toys for Tots during the Night of Lights) because it opens it up to a bigger audience and more people … then that’s all combined together – what we gather from the parade and what comes from the stuff a truck, it all goes to families in need,” Anderson concluded.