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  • Jean Johnson, left, and Dian Harvey with a Methodist Temple Bible study group work on dolls for Mac’s Toy Fund. RICK BARBERO/The Register-Herald

    macdolls
December 9, 2012

Mac's Toy Fund: ‘Doll ladies’ dress up donations

By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter

BECKLEY — Refurbishing donated dolls for Mac’s Toy Fund is a long-standing tradition.

This year, women of the Wednesday morning Bible study at United Methodist Temple in Beckley became first-time “doll ladies” as they finished their study of James by “living their faith through service” to Mac’s Toy Fund, said organizer Dian Harvey.

Jean Johnson said she has long wanted to volunteer for the toy fund and was glad the Bible study group could lend a hand.

“I think this project is wonderful,” said Colleen Roop. “It is sad to think there are children who won’t have something for Christmas. Helping with the dolls makes me think of my daughter and how excited she was to get a new doll.”

“A lot of little girls like to be little mothers,” shared Angela Roop. “I have four brothers, so I played mom to my doll babies. It was a joy to carry them around, and being able to help with the dolls is a joy today. When you give back to people, it helps everyone have a good Christmas.”

Mac’s doll table began with Mary Lee Torrico, Mac’s vice president Pete Torrico’s mother. Dubbed “The Doll Lady,” she worked with other women of United Methodist Temple to clean dolls, dress them, and cut and style their hair.

Harvey inherited the title from Torrico and for nearly a decade enlisted her youngest daughter and friends to help prepare the dolls.

It takes up to 40 hours to get 500 to 600 dolls ready for a new home each year, she said.

“With my daughter now a freshman at college, I was concerned about finishing the dolls on time this year and I was in need of some help,” she explained. “This is the first time my friends from the Bible study have been involved with the dolls, and they enjoyed it so much they want to make it an annual project.”

As the woman sorted through the dolls Wednesday, the group was all smiles, from laughing over a doll dressed in a bear costume to finding dolls similar to ones they or their own daughters played with as children.

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Mac’s Toy Fund is still in great need of donated toys. Just before Christmas is a great time to donate outgrown or unused toys.

Used toys and dolls should be dropped off at BJW Printing and Office Supplies, 3100 Robert C. Byrd Drive, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you would like to donate a bike and need someone to pick it up, please call 304-252-3874, or e-mail bsa.troop.103.beckley@gmail.com.

New or gently used coats can be dropped off at Family Coin Laundry on Robert C. Byrd Drive.

To make a monetary donation to Mac’s Toy Fund, mail checks to Mac’s Toy Fund, P.O. Box 2398, Beckley, WV 25802.

This year’s Mac’s Toy Fund Distribution Party is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 15; invitations will be sent by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

— E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com

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