PBA Locals prepare for the 12th annual NJ State PBA Toy Drive to benefit
New Jersey Foster and Adoptive Family Services.
benefits children of the New Jersey Foster and Adoptive Family Ser-
vices (FAFS) each year. This year, Spadea feels closer to the cause
than ever before. He’s encouraging every PBA Local to show up to
the State meeting on Dec. 4 with armsful of games, dolls, books and
action figures that will bring the magic of the holiday season to chil-
dren who are separated from their families.
“We have more than 400 Locals in the state,” Spadea reasoned.
“If every Local brought in even just one toy, there would be a bunch
of gifts for these kids.”
Judging from years past, Spadea knows that he can count on
many State Delegates to attend the December meeting with far
more than a single donation. Last year, Dunellen Local 146 deliv-
ered a Christmas miracle when Joe Dudley pulled up to Pines Man-
or in Edison with a trailer filled with colorful toys collected at Local
146’s Toy Drive Film Night. This holiday season, children and adults
will return to the Dunellen Theater on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 with arms
filled with toy donations for two nights of Christmas entertainment
with the viewings of “Christmas Vacation” and “The Polar Express.”
“[Dudley] has turned this into a really big thing with the movie
event in Dunellen,” Spadea noted of his fellow State Delegate in the
Middlesex/Somerset County Conference. “It’s going to be even big-
ger this year.”
As Locals ramp up efforts to gather donations in communities
across the state, Spadea plans on working with the students at
Somerville Middle School to make a large contribution. When Spa-
dea shared information about the NJ State PBA Toy Drive with the
principal of the school in which he is also a D.A.R.E. officer, the ad-
ministration saw a valuable opportunity to teach students about
community service while making donations to FAFS.
“This is my first year doing it, so I’m not sure what the response
will be,” Spadea admitted. “I’m hoping for the best.”
It may be Spadea’s first time leading the PBA Toy Drive, but he
is confident that the PBA Locals will attend the State meeting on
Dec. 4 with bells, whistles, bikes and board games, all with the goal
of putting smiles on the faces of children who will once again be
reminded of the New Jersey officers who are always there to save
the day.
CHICAGO LODGE 7
■ NOVEMBER 2018 65