Many people responded to a Times story about Toys for Tots needing a storage space; one company had loading docks and more than enough room.
By EILEEN SCHULTE, Times Staff Writer
Published November 11, 2005
CLEARWATER - This time last week, Pete Kristall described himself as "one depressed Marine."
The holiday season was fast approaching, and he still had no place to distribute the 40,000 toys that the Marine Corps League of Clearwater's Toys for Tots program gives away every year.
After a story appeared in the Times Monday describing his plight, Kristall, the program chairman, was swamped with calls from people offering toys and volunteering to help. He found himself dashing all over mid and north Pinellas to check out offers of space. Although he was grateful for every offer, none seemed suitable for the organization's needs, which were specific: The facility had to have ceilings 15 to 20 feet high, at least 50 parking spaces and restrooms and be available by Dec. 1.
Then the phone rang again.
On the other end of the line was Billy L. Lewis, executive director of Concurrent Technologies Corp., a nonprofit applied research and development professional services company at 7935 114th Ave. in Largo.
Lewis told Kristall outright that he didn't have the 5,000 square feet of space the Marine Corps League needed.
He had 8,000.
And loading docks.
Kristall couldn't believe it.
"The loading docks are a luxury for us," he said. "We can back trucks up."
Kristall signed an agreement with the company late Wednesday for the donated space. The Marine Corps League will start bringing toys to the warehouse, which Kristall described as "spotless," on Dec. 3. The toys will be housed there for two weeks and then distributed on Dec. 17 to more than 1,000 families screened by the Salvation Army.
"We're very happy to work with them," said Maj. Dean Hinson, corps officer of the Clearwater Citadel Corps of the Salvation Army. "Now that they've found a distribution center, lots of families will have toys for Christmas."
Lewis was eager to help the charity.
"Concurrent Technologies is very civic-minded," he said. "Like most companies, we have values, and one of them is good citizenship."
After employees at Clearwater Mattress read about the Marine Corps League's search for a distribution center, the company put Toys for Tots collection boxes in all 19 of its stores in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties.
"It's something we've been thinking of doing," said Sherry Shields, the company's human resources manager. "Christmas is for children."
