WESTHAMPTON — Mikki Nevins has been donating to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund for years in honor of two friends who died of cancer.
“Both of them I’d been friends with since their children were babies,” Nevins said.
Nevins, a Westhampton resident, described how she and her friend Priscilla MacKay, of Florence, made a tradition of getting Hickory Farms cheese and crackers when they went shopping, for Christmas or another occasion, and then enjoying cheese and crackers together once they’d finished.
“My children grew up calling it ‘Priscilla’s Cheese,’” said Nevins. “After she was gone, it was a really nice way to remember her every Christmas.”
MacKay died of cancer in 1991, and Nevins said that they went Christmas shopping together that August because MacKay didn’t think she would make it to the holidays.
“That was the earliest we went Christmas shopping,” said Nevins.
MacKay died a few weeks later. She was in her 40s.
Another friend with whom Nevins went shopping was Joey Moynihan, of Florence. Nevins said that when she and Moynihan would shop together, they’d also go out to eat for lunch or dinner, and Fitzwilly’s in Northampton was a favorite spot.
“We would just have a nice dinner somewhere,” said Nevins. “Without our husbands and children.”
She also noted that they would do girls’ weekends away alongside other friends.
Moynihan died of cancer in 2015, in her 50s.
“Another one of those deaths that came way too early,” said Nevins.
Nevins doesn’t remember when she started donating in MacKay’s memory to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund. However, after Moynihan died, she started including her name on donations as well.
“I’ve always been fortunate that I was able to provide for my children,” Nevins said, explaining why she donates. “I know that there are parents who can’t do that.”
Named after a former business manager at the Gazette, the Toy Fund began in 1933 to help families in need during the Depression. 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 following stores are participating this year: A2Z Science and Learning Store, 57 King St., Northampton; Blue Marble/Little Blue, 150 Main St., Level 1, Northampton: Deals & Steals, 1 Pearl St., Northampton; High Five Books, 141 N. Main St., Florence; The Toy Box, 201 N. Pleasant St., Amherst; Once Upon A Child,1458 Riverdale St., West Springfield; Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, 227 Russell St., Hadley; Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College St., Village Commons, South Hadley; The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 W. Bay Road, Amherst; World Eye Bookshop & Magical Child Toy Store, 134 Main St., Greenfield; Holyoke Sporting Goods Co., 1584 Dwight St. #1, Holyoke.
Donations to the Toy Fund may be 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.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.