Realtors raise money to buy toys for kids

Leslie Knuth, a retired Lakeside resident who runs the West Shore Food Bank, expects to have lots of children to shop for again this holiday season.

That’s not unusual for her.

Knuth shops for about 200 youths every year as part of a toy drive by the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors.

Starting with its summer golf outing, the Realtor association raises money to buy toys and clothes for families with special-needs children being treated by the Child Development Center in Kalispell.

Lists of toy and clothing requests are put together by coordinators at the Child Development Center and passed along to Knuth.

The Realtors try to raise enough money to satisfy all of those toy and clothing requests. This year’s target is about $6,000.

“I shop about four hours every day starting in November,” Knuth said.

Presents are gift wrapped, matched with a stuffed animal or Matchbox car and taken by Realtor elves to the Child Development Center, where they’re given out during a Christmas party.

“Every year my house looks like a bomb went off in it, but it’s fun,” Knuth said.

Over the last 12 years, the Realtor association has raised more than $70,000 for the toy drive, according to Brian Nicodemus, a Realtor with RE/MAX in Whitefish.

That money has bought toys for close to 2,500 children.

Realtors in the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors pitch in money for the effort, as do area banks, lenders and appraisal and title companies.

“It’s a great thing for Realtors to be involved with and we love doing it,” Nicodemus said.

Donations to the toy drive may be sent to the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors public relations committee, 110 Cooperative Way, Kalispell, MT 59901. Make checks payable to Realtor Toy Drive.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.