NORTHAMPTON — Carol Otis Hurst had a way of bringing joy to children through stories, according to her son-in-law, Ted Hale of Florence. Dedicating a Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund donation to her memory was therefore a fitting tribute.
“She had an incredible laugh, an infectious laugh, which she used pretty often,” Hale said, “and she was also an incredible storyteller.”
Otis Hurst, who died in 2007, was an author and elementary school teacher in Westfield. One of her books, the award-winning nonfiction children’s story, “Rocks in His Head,” details her father’s struggles during the Great Depression and how he eventually refound his footing when his passion for rock collecting led to a new career.
It was also during the Great Depression that the Toy Fund, named after a former business manager at the Gazette, began in 1933 to help families in need. Today, the fund distributes vouchers worth $40 to families for each child from age 1 to 14. Eligible families must live in any Hampshire County community except Ware, in the southern Franklin County towns of Deerfield, Sunderland, Whately, Shutesbury, and Leverett, and in Holyoke in Hampden County.
18 Degrees Family Services for Western Massachusetts at 59 Interstate Drive in West Springfield verifies families’ eligibility and the Gazette covers costs associated with the drive, freeing all donations to fund the vouchers.
The 2018 donation was the second or third year in a row that Hale donated to the Toy Fund, he said, with each contribution dedicated to his late mother-in-law.
“It’s such a great idea,” Hale said of donating. “It really is, being able to bring some kind of joy to kids.”
Like Hale, many who donate to the Toy Fund dedicate their contributions to deceased loved ones, though donations honor a variety of community members who have made an impact and inspired those in their lives to give. Last year, the Gazette collected over $61,000.
Michael Moses, publisher of Newspaper of New England’s Massachusetts publications, said that the Toy Fund is a tradition, now in its 87th year, that demonstrates the spirit of the community.
“Since 1933, the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund has helped provide joy to children and families in need,” Moses said. “We are proud to continue to host this project, but more importantly, it is a testament to the giving nature of our readers, and communities, we serve.”
The following stores are participating this year: A2Z Science and Learning Store, 57 King St., Northampton; Deals & Steals, 1 Pearl St., Northampton; JCPenney, 367 Russell St., Hadley (store only); The Toy Box, 201 N. Pleasant St., Amherst; Target, 367 Russell St. Hadley (store only); Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, 227 Russell St., Hadley; Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College St., Village Commons, South Hadley; Wilson’s Department Store, 258 Main St., Greenfield; World Eye Bookshop & Magical Child, 134 Main St., Greenfield; Holyoke Sporting Goods Co. 1584 Dwight St. #1, Holyoke; Children’s Museum at Holyoke, 444 Dwight St., Holyoke.
Donations to the Toy Fund may be dropped off at or mailed to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, P.O. Box 299, Northampton, MA, 01061, or made through Gazettenet at www.gazettenet.com.
Checks should be made payable to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.