EDEN, Md.- Hurricane Sandy left a great deal of destruction in her wake. More than two weeks later, many Delmarva communities are still cleaning up and rebuilding. And one Wicomico County organization is now trying to rebuild their toy supply for local children in need during the holidays.
Flooding from the hurricane destroyed dozens of toys inside the Wicomico Yacht Club. They were being collected for next weekend's Christmas Boat Parade, for the Toys for Tots program. And now, the club, with the help of the community, is starting over.
"All this in the dumpster is construction debris and if you looked in it, down here is what's left of what we already collected for Toys for Tots, right there," pointed out Bill Riley, of the club's board of directors.
Inside the yacht club's clubhouse, it has been a busy couple weeks.
"When we got it, all the carpet and tile was just dirt, mud, filth," Riley explained.
The building is shut down as staff and volunteers work to repair the damage left by a foot of floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy.
Riley said they had no idea it would be so bad.
"We started collecting for our Christmas Boat Parade for the Toys for Tots and we lost the toys that we had in there already," Riley said.
Normally, the clubhouse serves as the main collection point. Now, with just a week left to gather donations, the yacht club is relying on businesses throughout the county to help out.
And that includes "How Sweet It Is" in Eden.
"That's the spirit that's, you know, genuine Eastern Shore spirit," noted owner Brent Malone. "You know, everybody's trying to pull together and give what they need so the people that can't can get a little extra."
While many have been hurt by the storm, Riley said he is encouraged by that spirit.
"Everybody in our community, from Crisfield, Salisbury, needs help," he said. "But if somebody feels they can, it would be well appreciated to have the kids in our community have something for Christmas, at a time where everybody's struggling, trying to get something done."
You can find a list of Toys for Tots collection points here.
All toys must be new and not wrapped. Donations can also be made right at the dock beside Brew River, at the Christmas Boat Parade on Nov. 24.
