Straub Automotive Shifts Gears From Test Drives to Toy Drives | News, Sports, Jobs

photo by: Emma Delk

Toys for Tots and Straub Automotive leadership gather to celebrate the completion of the business’s donation drive for the program. Pictured, from left, are Marines Sgt. Austin Andres, Marines Capt. Bruno Rodrigues, Toys for Tots Coordinator John Labriola, Bryan Fato with Straub Automotive, Cari Fato Woods with Straub Automotive and Marine Corps League Detachment 771 Commandant Fred Brunner.

More than 1,000 toys were added to the “Toys for Tots” donation pile thanks to the contributions of Straub Automotive employees during the business’s annual toy drive for the event.

Bryan Fato, Executive Manager of Straub Automotive, said Straub Automotive employees were challenged this holiday season to give back to the community by gathering toys and gifts for the Toys for Tots program. He noted employees rose to the occasion by almost doubling the number of toys they donated to the drive from last year.

Fato attributed the increase in the donation size to the different departments competing to see who could collect the most toys. The Straub Collision Center led the pack with more than 300 toys collected.

“They did a fantastic job,” Fato said. “I couldn’t be more proud of how all the employees stepped up to help with the drive. It’s great to see how much they care and want to give back.”

The toys were collected at the Highlands Straub Nissan Dealership on Thursday. A wide range of toys, from basketballs to Barbie dolls, made up the donation pile. Straub Automotive employees gathered during the collection to celebrate the completion of the drive, and the Grinch also stopped by.

Straub Automotive employees also helped Toys for Tots Coordinator John Labriola load the donations into his truck so they would be ready for pickup on the program’s two distribution days.

The Toys for Tots distribution days will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the National Road Church of Christ, 1310 National Road and on Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Cove Presbyterian Church next to the Millsop Community Center in Weirton.

This year marks the second time the Marine Corps League has held the Toys for Tots program. Labriola said he was “thrilled” to see businesses such as Straub Automotive step up to fill their donation supply.

Labriola said the toys donated by the Straub Automotive employees provided a quarter of what the organization would need to hand out toys to the over 400 children who signed up for the program this year. With every child receiving about four to five toys, Labriola noted that local businesses play a big part in making sure every child is provided for.

“Straub is probably one of our biggest contributors,” Labriola said. “Each child gets about four to five toys, including bikes to bigger toys, so we take basically anything Santa can stick in his bag.”

Labriola added that families are still signing up to receive toys this year, with the cutoff date for sign-ups being Sunday, Dec. 15. He estimated that this year, the organization would have “just shy of 500 children” signed up between Brooke, Hancock and Ohio counties.

Local organizations also sign up to receive toys from the drive. Labriola said they had about 320 children from families sign up, and another 100 organizations requested toy donations.

“This is our second year holding Toys for Tots and we’ve got more children this year, probably by a third of what my numbers were last year,” Labriola noted.

Labriola said one of the most important aspects of Toys for Tots was the drive’s partnerships with local businesses that donate to the toy total. He noted Straub Automotive and other organizations gave Toys for Tots a “great opportunity” to work with the community and receive help from the “generosity of local businesses.”

“Working with local businesses like Straub Automotive makes it so much easier,” Labriola said. “All I have to do is show up with a truck, load up the toys and head out. It’s all about the children, and I just want to thank the Marine Corps League, Toys for Tots volunteers and Straub Automotive employees who are helping Toys for Tots grow even bigger this year.”