ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Greg Domey of Sin City Cycles stands in his garage in Saugus where he is collecting toys for the third annual Christmas For Kids event.
By THOMAS GRILLO
SAUGUS — The holidays will be a little brighter for nearly 300 families thanks to Christmas for Kids, a local charity to benefit children in Saugus and Lynn.
For the third consecutive year, the nonprofit founded by Sin City Cycles owner Greg Domey, will provide toys and winter clothes for needy children.
“It’s my way to give back to the community,” he said. “I lived in Lynn for many years and you see kids out on the street in the middle of winter with runny noses, no coats, no gloves or hats and parents who just can’t afford to provide them.”
The public is being asked to bring an unwrapped toy or a gift card to St. Michael’s Hall at 25 Elmwood Ave. in Lynn Friday night. There will be free coffee and doughnuts from Kane’s Donuts and Dunkin’ Donuts at the event scheduled from 7-11 p.m.
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Domey, 57, said he did not know how much he’s raised or how many toys have been distributed since the program began. This season, they have collected about 1,000 toys. In addition to toys, donors can adopt a needy family and provide them with a winter outfit. To be eligible, families in need can contact the charity through its Facebook page.
“We ask them to spend $150 for two kids for boots, coats, hats and gloves and on Friday night we match about four dozen donors with a family,” Domey said.
Jayna Doherty-Kinloch, a social worker at Gregg House, the Lynn child care center, said she works with many hard-working families trying to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. But often it’s not enough to make ends meet.
“Christmas for Kids makes all the difference because some families would not enjoy the holidays otherwise,” she said. “Winter clothes are not cheap and they go a long way around here.”
Domey’s charity is one of many working to make this a merry Christmas for the area’s children. Item Santa and Santa’s Helping Hands, a nonprofit providing a party and gifts to more than 200 needy children and families in Lynn, was launched in 1964 to help struggling families. A holiday party is hosted for the children where each child gets a toy on their wish list, as well as hats and mittens.
Christmas for Kids toy donations will be accepted until Dec. 20 at Hair Lounge in Saugus at 354 Central St., Everything’s Hair at 492 Lincoln Ave. in Saugus, Sin City Cycles, 14 Mount Vernon Street in Lynn and in Saugus at 352 Central St.
“To me, it’s all about community,” he said. “Helping people just seems natural.”
Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].