Dear Toy Drive Family,
We hope everyone is doing well. After 26 years and after much deliberation we have decided to discontinue the toy drive. This is the toy drive that we love. We started the toy drive in honor of our mom who was murdered in 1993. Her case became a cold case and homicide detectives vowed not to retire until her case was solved. We involved the police in honor of the dedicated officers who worked to solve her case. We also dedicated the toy drive to our mom who loved children and we named it after our children’s TV show, It’s Kindertime, which ran on WMAR TV every Saturday for six years. It was a great run, and we wish to thank everyone for their enthusiasm, dedication and participation over the years. We looked forward to the toy drive every year and enjoyed stopping at various locations including Bea Gaddy Family Resource Center, The Ronald McDonald House and the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
We’ve had a wonderful time, and we’ve met many awesome people. We love the toy drive and all the police officers, firemen, first responders, supervisors, chiefs, volunteers and politicians who have helped to make it a success. We hate to discontinue it, but we feel that in the last few years, times have changed. Sponsorship is down tremendously. We don’t get as many toys. Every year we have less money to give to our friend and caterer Chef Arthur Bennett of Culinary Innovations who provides the food every year basically for free and operates at a loss.
Sadly, it seems this country is becoming increasingly filled with people attempting to make a name for themselves through random violence. Although the people along our delivery route have been awesome even serenading us with music, it takes only one unpredictable lone wolf to ruin everything. The caravan is too big of a target and frankly we don’t want to take the risk.
Again, we wish to thank every individual who has donated a toy, waved at us from the street or accompanied us as we delivered toys. May God bless every single one of you.
With Love and Appreciation,
Pete and Beverly O’Neal
We hope everyone is doing well. After 26 years and after much deliberation we have decided to discontinue the toy drive. This is the toy drive that we love. We started the toy drive in honor of our mom who was murdered in 1993. Her case became a cold case and homicide detectives vowed not to retire until her case was solved. We involved the police in honor of the dedicated officers who worked to solve her case. We also dedicated the toy drive to our mom who loved children and we named it after our children’s TV show, It’s Kindertime, which ran on WMAR TV every Saturday for six years. It was a great run, and we wish to thank everyone for their enthusiasm, dedication and participation over the years. We looked forward to the toy drive every year and enjoyed stopping at various locations including Bea Gaddy Family Resource Center, The Ronald McDonald House and the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
We’ve had a wonderful time, and we’ve met many awesome people. We love the toy drive and all the police officers, firemen, first responders, supervisors, chiefs, volunteers and politicians who have helped to make it a success. We hate to discontinue it, but we feel that in the last few years, times have changed. Sponsorship is down tremendously. We don’t get as many toys. Every year we have less money to give to our friend and caterer Chef Arthur Bennett of Culinary Innovations who provides the food every year basically for free and operates at a loss.
Sadly, it seems this country is becoming increasingly filled with people attempting to make a name for themselves through random violence. Although the people along our delivery route have been awesome even serenading us with music, it takes only one unpredictable lone wolf to ruin everything. The caravan is too big of a target and frankly we don’t want to take the risk.
Again, we wish to thank every individual who has donated a toy, waved at us from the street or accompanied us as we delivered toys. May God bless every single one of you.
With Love and Appreciation,
Pete and Beverly O’Neal
Photos and Video
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25th Anniversary Video - December 2023
Police and First Responder Caravan Delivers Toys- December 2022
Cardinal Shehan School Choir- December 2017
Vintage Toy Drive Videos
Toy Delivery Night With Pete ONeal Jr. and Baltimore County Officer William Tilghman
Toy Delivery at Kennedy Krieger Institute Impromptu Street Party
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