Burlington County Sheriff accepts record Toy Drive donation from Amazon

BURLINGTON – The 25th annual Burlington County Sheriff’s Department Holiday Toy Drive is getting a huge assist from Amazon and its Burlington Fulfillment Center this year.

Amazon’s ACY2 Fulfillment Center in Burlington made a $26,000 donation of toys, sporting equipment, electronics, household essentials and personal hygiene items to the annual Drive on Friday. It is believed to be the largest single donation in the event’s long history.

“We’re absolutely overwhelmed by Amazon’s generosity and community spirit,” Burlington County Sheriff Anthony Basantis said Friday before his officers collected the truckload of toys and other items from the fulfillment center.

“As members of law enforcement, we take a lot of pride in serving Burlington County’s communities and this toy drive is a special part of that tradition. Thanks to Amazon and all the other residents and businesses that have contributed gifts this year, we will succeed in giving a special holiday to hundreds of children and families,” Basantis added.

Burlington County Freeholder Dan O’Connell was also on hand at the Pearl Street fulfillment center on Friday to thank Amazon and its employees.

“It’s no secret that 2020 has been a difficult year for a lot of families, but this donation will go a long way to making sure that it ends well and that everyone will have a joyful holiday,” O’Connell said. “On behalf of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, I would like to say thank you to Amazon for their generosity.”

Chris Van Volkenburg, General Manager of Amazon’s Burlington Fulfilment Center, said the company was proud to partner with the Sheriff to deliver a happy holiday for those in need.

“At Amazon, we strive to be not only a great employer, but a great neighbor too. It’s important to us that we leverage our scale for good and make investments that support the local communities where our associates live and work,” Volkenburg said. “We are thrilled to support the Sheriff’s annual toy drive and use our resources to deliver a brighter, happier holiday for Burlington kids and their families, especially after such a challenging year. We look forward to making this a tradition at ACY2.”

The Toy Drive has become a favorite tradition and succeeded in brightening the holidays for thousands of Burlington County children each year.

So far hundreds of toys and gifts have been collected but there is still time to donate. Sheriff Anthony Basantis said the department will continue to collect donations until Dec. 14.

Unwrapped toys can be brought to the County Administrations Building, 49 Rancocas Street, Mount Holly or left at one of the 32 additional drop-off locations across the county between now and Dec. 14.

A list of all drop off locations is available here.

The Sheriff’s Department will begin distributing toys and clothing to eight different nonprofit organizations and agencies that work tirelessly to help Burlington County families who need a little help.

The groups assisting in this year’s drive include: the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Oaks Integrated Care in Mount Holly, Christian Caring Center in Pemberton Township, Providence House, Sisterhood in Burlington City, Servicios Latinos de Burlington County, Foster and Adoptive Family Services of Princeton, and House of God in Delran.

 “Now, more than ever, it’s amazing to see how our community and it’s businesses come together to help residents and to assure that our children have a wonderful holiday season,” concluded Basantis