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Rincon community, businesses donate big to Rincon Y Angel Tree
Rincon PD with gifts
Rincon Police, Rincon Fire and Rescue, and Evans General Contractors delivered a truckful of toys to the Rincon Y for its Angel Tree. (Photos by Barbara Augsdorfer/Effingham Herald.)

By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald

During these last frantic days before Christmas, Santa doesn’t mind getting a helping hand to get toys and gifts to all Effingham County children on Santa’s “Nice” List.

People who came to the Christmas Market in Rincon last weekend could drop off a new, unwrapped toy and receive $5 off the cost for an hour of “Skating in the South”. A City of Rincon spokesperson added that the Christmas Market will be open this week, Dec. 18-22 for any last-minute gift ideas or a quick spin on the synthetic rink.

police escort
Toys were delivered Dec. 16 with a police and fire escort from Freedom Park to the Rincon Y.
The toys were picked up at Freedom Park by Kris Leonard, superintendent of Evans General Contractors, and delivered to the Rincon Y with a lights-and-siren escort by Rincon Police and Rincon Fire and Rescue.

“We've been very fortunate with people like the city of Rincon, companies like Evans General Contracting, the police department and the fire department,” said Ronald Smith, executive director of the Rincon Y. “This (toy drive) benefits kids in our local community so that they can have a great Christmas.”

“This is what we should be doing,” said Kris Leonard, site superintendent with Evans General Contractors, as he started unloading boxes of gifts from his truck.

Smith noted that 2024 has been particularly tough on Effingham County with two devastating storms that caused significant damage and periods of unemployment for adults, which is especially hard on single-parent households.

Rincon Y Angel Tree
Guessing by the number of toys, bikes, and other gifts brought Monday morning to the Rincon Y, in addition to the gifts already received, every one of these tags with a child’s gift wish should be fulfilled.
“Last year, we serviced between 150 to 200 families; and right now, we have already gotten over 250 requests on the Angel Tree,” Smith said. “This really helps us service all the people in Effingham County, not just Rincon. It's Rincon, Springfield, and Guyton. We're all one community here in Effingham.”

Smith added that he was especially grateful to Evans Contracting staff who went out of their way to pick a specific gift that a child asked for.

Rincon PD, FIre, staff who delivered toys
Rincon PD and Rincon Fire and Rescue staff pose with Matthew Coogler and Kris Leonard (second and third from left) of Evans General Contracting; and Gena Sullivan Rincon public information officer (fourth from left), after delivering toys and bikes that were collected over the weekend at the Christmas Market at Freedom Park.
“It’s very meaningful,” Smith said. “An X-Box controller is not a cheap thing and to just imagine that child’s eyes when he opens up that present.”

Smith explained that the collected gifts will be boxed or bagged according to the items on a specific tag from a child and parents/guardians will pick them up at the Rincon Y Dec. 18-20 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.