Girl revives toy drive after donations stolen
Ashlee Smith stands with donors Kelly and Carol Oswald on Thursday during the effort to replace toys stolen earlier this week. Ashlee is reviving efforts to collect toys for Fernley kids.
With the help of a local radio station, 9-year-old Ashlee Smith revived her effort Thursday to collect toys for the children in Fernley affected by the January flood.
After someone stole some donations last weekend from a storage trailer, employees at KUUB FM 94.5, helped the North Valleys girl on Thursday collect toys, gift cards and money to replace the stolen items.
More than 100 people dropped off toys at the station on 2900 Sutro St. in Reno at McCarran Boulevard.
“It has been replenished and then some,” Ashlee’s mom, Ericka Smith, said Thursday. “We have so much stuff it’s amazing.”
The trailer, parked in Sparks in front of the Custom Aire shop owned by Ashlee’s grandfather, was burglarized between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning, Smith said.
Smith said they have notified the Wal-Mart and Target stores, where many of the items were obtained through donated gift cards, to alert them that the thieves might try to return some of the items for cash.
‘A great community’
Despite the incident, Smith said she never doubted the community.
“We live in a great community, so we knew it would bounce back,” Smith said.
Ashlee, her mother and father, Matt Smith, collected donations of toys and money from customers Feb. 16 at the Wal-Mart store in Spanish Springs.
The Whitehead Elementary School third-grader and her parents were scheduled to deliver the donations to Cottonwood Elementary School in Fernley on March 22, when the items would be distributed to families.
About 108 families have children who are attending Cottonwood.
To donate items or learn how to help, contact the Smiths at 527-2245.
This article appeared originally in Reno Gazette-Journal.
