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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 2, 2022 ~ The Advocate Asks ~ Page 3 Retired Fire Captain Bill O’Malley talks about the tradition of the Saugus Fire Department Christmas Toy Drive Editor’s Note: For this week, we decided to catch up with Retired Saugus Fire Department Capt. Bill O’Malley on what could be his last run as organizer of the annual Saugus Fire Department Christmas Toy Drive. O’Malley, a longtime Saugus resident, spent 36 years at the Fire Department before retiring in 2004. But he continues working with other retired Saugus fi refi ghters and active members he calls “Santa’s Elves” in helping to spread a little Christmas cheer to some needy families this time of year. He and his wife Carole have been married for 63 years. And he credits her for being an asset to the holiday mission he’s been running for more than three decades. “Nothing gets done without Carole,” he says. O’Malley is modest about his role in this Saugus holiday tradition, which he organized more than three decades ago. He insisted on buying the coffee for this week’s interview. Here are some highlights from our conversation at a local donut shop. Q: The Annual Saugus Fire Department Toy Drive has become quite a tradition in Saugus over the years. When did it actually begin and how did it begin? A: It started when Parker Brothers went out of business, sometime in the early 1990s. They called up and said they were closing in Salem, Mass., and they had some extra toys to give away. And they asked whether the Fire Department could do anything with them. I said, “Of course we can.” I figured we could find some families in town who could use some toys. It was a small amount, but it was enough that we could handle it – maybe a pickup truck full. So, that’s how we started. And it just grew year after year from then on. Q: Did the Fire Department have a toy drive back when Parker Brothers closed, which would have been around 1991? A: No. Not back then. But we took the toys and tried to fi nd some families that might need a little help. We called around to the schools, organizations and churches to see if they would give us names of the people they thought needed help or they knew needed help. So, after getting the names, I called some peoQ: Sounds like she’s like Mrs. Claus is to Santa Claus. A: Absolutely. Without her guidance and organization, it doesn’t get done properly. She keeps track of the families we’re going to be delivering to. We usually have 55 to 60 people we help out. So, we put the gifts in black contractor bags so kids can’t see them when the toys are delivered to the families. Three or four days before they get “Santa’s Elves” came from the Saugus Fire Department last Saturday (Nov. 26) to pick up the fi rst of two pickup truckloads of gifts gathered by the Saugus Lions Club at its Third Annual Roaring Toy Drive held in the parking lot at the Saugus Senior Center. Pictured from left to right are retired Saugus Firefi ghter Don Babin, Saugus Fire Captain Tom Nolan and Retired Saugus Fire Captain Bill O’Malley. The Annual Saugus Fire Department Christmas Toy Drive – which O’Malley initiated more than 30 years ago – will continue through Dec. 15. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) ple up, and I said, “I understand you need some help this year.” And they asked who told me that, and I told them it was confi dential. And they either said they did or didn’t need help. It was all confi dential. Santa Claus knows everything. It spread by word of mouth. Somebody would call saying they know a family that needs help, and it would go from there. But we try to keep it all confi dential so nobody gets embarrassed or says anything about it. The diff erent organizations, the churches and the School Department would help make our “Santa’s List.” Q: So, what happened after the fi rst year? A: We decided to keep it going. I just put a little announcement in the papers that the Saugus Fire Department Toy Drive was alive and well and that we’d be collecting for families in need again. So between the businesses and residences and word of mouth, it grew and it continues to grow. We have “drop boxes” for presents in Town Hall, at the Police Department and in both Fire Stations. Some businesses do put boxes out for us. If I were to ask every business in town if they could put a box out for us, they would probably do it. But there’s not enough room at the Fire Department to accommodate all of the presents we’d get. The people of Saugus are so generous, we’ve now got a lot more gifts than people to give them to. Q: How long will this toy drive last? A: Probably up to Dec. 15. We have to leave ourselves enough time to sort out the presents by boy/girl and age group; then we bag them all up. Q: Please tell me about your wife, Carole, and the role she plays as the key organizer behind the scenes. A: What can I say? Behind every successful man there’s a successful woman who is organized and makes things work … most of the stuff we do doesn’t get done without my wife. Carole is very organized and keeps things together. She knows exactly who the families are who are going to be getting the toys and their ages. Plow Package, Runs & Drives Great, Great Condition, Clean Title, 150K Miles! TRADES WELCOME! $14,900 Easy Financing Available! delivered, my wife has a list, and she writes it down on a piece of paper and staples it to each black bag. It’s so well done and organized after all of these years. Q: Besides your wife, you get a lot of help from other folks to make this work. 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