CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — Pickaway County Community Action, the county’s anti-poverty agency known locally as PICCA, will host a vendor fair next month benefiting the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program, the agency said in a social media post.
The fair is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at the McDowell Gym at Logan Elm School, 9579 Tarlton Road, Circleville. Admission is free, and organizers are asking attendees to bring a new, unopened toy or make a donation at the door to support the Toys for Tots collection, according to PICCA.
PICCA is billing the event, themed “Support Local. Build Community,” as an opportunity for area vendors and small businesses to set up tables and reach shoppers ahead of the holiday season. Businesses and individuals interested in reserving a vendor spot can call PICCA at 740-477-1655, extension 1205, or email [email protected], the agency said.
PICCA has served Pickaway County since 1965, when it was organized under the framework of the federal Economic Opportunity Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson the previous year. The law created the national Community Action network, of which PICCA remains a member. The agency provides emergency financial assistance, home weatherization, senior services, transportation and other programs aimed at helping low-income residents of the county become self-sufficient.
Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Marine Corps Reserve Maj. Bill Hendricks and members of his Los Angeles reserve unit collected and distributed roughly 5,000 toys to children in need. The Marine Corps expanded the campaign into a nationwide program the following year, and local Marine Reserve units and community partners, including PICCA, have run Toys for Tots collection drives across the country each holiday season since.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Pickaway County Community Action (PICCA).
