National Guard hands out presents

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake National Guard unit members stood in Sinkiuse Square Saturday morning with a stack of presents.

A boy and his grandmother walked up to the soldiers. Staff Sgt. Justin Morris told the boy he had something special for him. He walked back to the SUV parked on the square and took a remote-controlled car and handed it to the child.

Morris said the car was donated by a man who originally wanted to donate cash to the soldiers. When they told them they could accept money, he went to Walmart and returned with the toy along with batteries.

"He wanted to donate because he had a sister who had cancer," Morris said.

The car was one of hundreds of toys handed out by the soldiers Saturday morning, Morris said. The majority were donated by the Dollar Store and Weinstein Beverage Co., and wrapped by a group of high school students.

The group started giving toys out along Third Avenue last year after a couple years of trying to distribute them in neighborhoods, Morris said.

"The problem was we would go knocking on a door and you just never knew what you were going to run into," Morris said at last year's event.

The event allows the Guard to give back to the community, Morris said. If anyone knows people in need, they can come collect a bag of presents.

"Basically (it's) just to give back. We're the National Guard, that's what we do," he said. "We serve the community. Normally in emergency cases, like floods and fires, but we're also involved in community-based situations ... If we can help put a smile on a young person's face that's huge."

Morris was greeted by a crowd of people when he arrived with the toys about 8:30 a.m., he said. About 30 toys remained about noon when Linda Roscoe approached the group.

She heard about the event from a friend, and decided to collect some toys for a family in need. She said the family of five was having a hard time making ends meet during the holiday season.

"It's hard enough to support a family," she said.