SEQUIM – Soft green frogs sat in the pews, while petite pandas beckoned, along with scores of other plush creatures.
Even after four hours of prodigious giving, Trinity United Methodist Church was still well-populated with dolls, stuffed animals and “elves” such as Shirley Anderson.
Welcome to the annual Sequim Community Aid toy giveaway, an exchange between a flock of anonymous donors and hundreds of local children.
“I was astonished at the gifts people gave,” Anderson said.
“This year, donors brought many presents – including coveted electronic gadgets – for the 11- and 12-year-old set, she added.
Those items were especially needed, since in past years the bulk of donations were for preschool and elementary-school-age kids.
Some Sequim community members buy these gifts months before Christmas, Anderson said.
They set them aside to be brought in December to the Clallam County Fire District No. 3 station on Fifth Avenue, the toy-drive collection point in recent years.
