National Guard hands out toys in Moses Lake Saturday at Third Avenue clock

MOSES LAKE — Members of Moses Lake’s National Guard unit are hoping to bring a little toy joy to kids this Christmas.

On Saturday they’ll distribute about 500 gifts — everything from puzzles to teddy bears — near the clock at Third Avenue and Ash Street in downtown Moses Lake, according to National Guard Staff Sgt. Justin Morris.

“Anybody who knows someone who’s not going to have much of a Christmas this year is welcome to come by and get presents,” he said; adding most of the gifts are appropriate for children from 1 to 9 years old.

Each year around the holidays, the National Guard sets up donation sites throughout the city to collect toys for families of soldiers, Morris said.

The majority of National Guard personnel live in Yakima and Spokane, only coming to Moses Lake for drills, and Morris said since no drills are held in December the families were not getting the gifts until sometime in the new year.

Because of this, he said the National Guard typically has brought many of the toys to the Moses Lake Food Bank, where they’re handed out to families in need.

They’ve also started to get more creative in their distribution approach.

Morris, who serves as a youth pastor at Desert Springs Community Church of the Nazarene, said last year he accompanied Desert Springs pastor Gary Pierce, dressed as Santa Claus, to distribute some of the toys door-to-door in certain areas of Moses Lake.

This year he had members of his church youth group wrap up the gifts to be given away downtown.

Morris said the group will be at the clock from 9 a.m. until the gifts are gone.

“This is what the National Guard is all about — giving back to communities,” he said.