The Salvation Army's seasonal toy shop received a truckload of toys thanks to a local Surrey family's annual toy drive. 

Uncle Vinny's Toy Drive was created in 2021 to honour the late Vinny Maan, who died in 2019. 

In the first three years, from 2021 to 2023, the toy drive collected over $90,000 worth of toys, Pinder Saran, Vinny's sister and organizer of the toy drive, said. This year, they collected over 1,600 toys. 

"Vinny loved children, was joyous and had this radiant smile that was super contagious, and he loved the holidays. He passed away December 11, 2019, so really, really close to the holidays. So the time of year became really hard for us to manage, and that's how the toy drive came about," Saran said. 

The new, unwrapped toys were dropped off at various locations throughout the Lower Mainland from Nov. 12 to Dec. 10. On Monday (Dec. 16), the Salvation Army picked up all 1,600 toys from Saran's parents' Fraser Heights home and took them to the organization's Boundless Vancouver Christmas toy shop. 

Saran said they chose the Salvation Army pop-up toy shop because of how personalized it is. 

"Parents can actually pick out toys for their children," Saran said. "I love that concept because the parents still are involved in the gift that the child receives. It's a little bit more personalized." 

The family also volunteers at the toy shop yearly on Vinny's birthday, Nov. 29. 

"We've gone and volunteered at their toy shop to see the full circle, to see where the toys that we're collecting are going and who they're ending up with," Saran said. "It's a humbling experience."

The collection of toys is kept at Saran's parents' home, and she said it's surreal to watch the pile of toys grow. 

"Every year, you'd think you get used to it, but you don't. It's just so much joy, it becomes so surreal, and unless you've walked into that house and seen all the toys, pictures just don't do it justice." 

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