It’s the holiday season, and what better way to spread cheer than by giving back to our community? Santa, Mrs. Claus and a bus load of elves have been busy rooftop to rooftop throughout the region collecting toys destined for the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau. This year, we are proud to announce that we have surpassed our Toys for Tots donation drive goal!

Thanks to the generosity of our employees and customers, we have collected and donated 3,721 toys for families who need help putting a toy underneath the Christmas tree this holiday season. We are so grateful for the support and enthusiasm that everyone has shown for this cause that is near and dear to our hearts.

For 37 years, employees from TransLink, Coast Mountain Bus Company, BC Rapid Transit Company, HandyDART, SeaBus, Transit Police, and beyond have been donating toys.

The program started in 1985 by a group of bus operators at the Surrey Transit Centre bus depot, who wanted to do something special for the community to give back during the holidays. The program has grown each year making the tradition shine a little brighter as it carries on. Toys for Tots has collected a total of 93,457 toys to date.

It’s a wonderful way to bring joy to children who may not otherwise receive gifts, and we are honoured to be able to contribute to this effort.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s donation drive. Your kindness and generosity will make a difference in the lives of so many children. We are already looking forward to next year’s drive and hope to see even more participation from our TransLink family.

From all of us at TransLink, we wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy holiday season. Thank you again for helping us make this year’s Toys for Tots drive a success.