Snow clouds disappear over the toy drive banner. Contractors Building Supply donated the use of the lifts for the banner.

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    Over the years Construct a Kid’s Christmas program has collected 14,429 toys and gifts and raised $390,451 for gift certificates and additional gifts.

“Back in 1999 I was chair of the Child Welfare Board, and we were planning what we were going to do for Christmas,” said Debra Nicholas, Construction News managing editor.  “The caseworkers came to us and they were asking for about $5,000 to buy Christmas presents for the kids.”

Nicholas said the board discovered the money would only serve a small portion of the kids in Child Protective Services care under the family-based services program.

“Being a little bit frustrated with that, I thought about who could I contact in the business community and Buddy Doebbler, Construction News publisher, came to mind.

“I sat in his office and I explained to him what was happening. I thought it was such a shame that here you have children that are in the worst possible situation and we didn’t have enough money to buy them Christmas presents.  I knew that some of the families would not be able to provide presents for the children, either.

“I thought Buddy could help or maybe he would know a company that could help.  A company.  Buddy just leap-frogged it.  He said let me contact Doug McMurry and Steven Schultz and let’s talk to them about the associations because they represent a lot of companies.”

The name Construct a Kid’s Christmas was adopted for the toy drive and a video presentation was put together.

“It was a real tear jerker and then we went on the road,” Nicholas said.   “Buddy went to every association meeting, to every company, and showed that video.”

The first toy drive yielded 1,197 toys and gifts and more than $17,500 in cash and gift certificates.

“The people on our board just couldn’t believe the response.  It was so overwhelming we weren’t prepared for how responsive people were,” Nicholas said. 

The cash and gift certificates enabled the board to purchase additional gifts and fill the void for the children in the12 and over age group that did not receive toys. 

“It was the most humbling of all because the teenagers would take the gift certificates and they would be so excited because they could buy gifts for someone else,” Nicholas said.  “It was humbling to think, that was their gift and they were turning around and giving it away.  It still makes me tear up.”

In 2001 the construction industry put together the first Construct a Kid’s Gala, bringing together many of the trade associations to raise money and collect more toys for the kids.

“The construction industry showed again this year, like they have for the past nine years, that if the cause is the right one, they will become involved and support it,” Doebbler said.

The total number of toys and gifts collected at the 2009 toy drive held Dec. 4 at the Construction News offices was 1,400 and an additional $30,240 in cash and gift certificates will also go to the kids.

“Construction folks have big hearts when it comes to kids,” Doebbler said. “This is a fantastic group of people who really do care. –kf