PITTSTON, Pa. — Bags and boxes filled with toys are lined up as far as the eye can see inside the old Seton Catholic High School gym in Pittston. This is just the beginning of all the donations that will help out the big man himself this holiday season.
"The way we look at it, Santa's secret workshop, that is us."
The Pittston Santa Squad is making Christmas a reality for hundreds of families throughout the region, and it all started five years ago with a football game.
"Tony Merenca, our founder and president, put together that crazy football game and invited friends and family to come together and watch old guys play flag football and put a toy on a tarp, which netted him 500 toys to donate that year to the Salvation Army. And from there, it took off," said Gary Worosilla, a Pittston Santa Squad vice president.
Worosilla says this year, they've more than doubled their registration, making Christmas magic for more than 1,500 kids.
"Some of the wants are the most basic things. none of them are asking for anything crazy."
In just a few weeks, there will be close to 1,000 red bags spread across the None Each one, with each kid's specific wish list.
"We do our best to give them everything that was requested, within reason, obviously. If they only ask for two or three items, then we will add more to that bag," Worosilla said.
The hot items this year include Barbies, Legos, dolls, and Nerf.
The Santa Squad also hopes to give out 111 bikes, each one built by hand by Worosilla. It's a labor of love but one that especially hits home for him and his daughter, Skylar.
"She's adopted. She grew up through the foster system. When she came to us, she came to us with nothing. She was one of these children. So that's why we got involved initially, and we got her involved."
The Santa Squad is holding a toy drop-off Saturday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on William Street in Pittston.
The Pigskin Classic football game will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Pittston Area High School football field. Admission is a toy or monetary donation.