January 2–9, 1997

hit and run

Toys In The Attic

The Philadelphia Weekly's Toy Drive was exactly the type of event to capture the holiday season spirit. But somehow, the plan went awry, much to the chagrin of the woman who toiled hard to make the program work.

The Weekly's Toy Drive was set up like this. Readers were urged to drop off new, unwrapped toys at the paper's office, the office of Property Management, or any of TLA Video's six outlets. The deadline for donations was Dec. 23.

According to reports from four TLA outlets, the Weekly picked up the toys as promised. Only the delivery man arrived three days early on Dec. 20. And employees at a fifth store, the TLA Video on South Fourth Street, say the pickup man never came. (The TLA outlet on Germantown Avenue could not be reached due to phone trouble.)

"Oooooohh," said Lucy Marino, the Weekly's personals coordinator, the drive's organizer, when told about the snafu. "Oh, God."

According to Marino, the problem may lie with a Weekly driver who speaks English as a second language (though Marino also says the man told her the pickups were completed as planned.) In addition, Marino says she "personally called" all the TLA outlets to make sure the drive went smoothly. Employees, Marino says, told her that everything was fine.

Both Marino and Mark Walkow, TLA Video's citywide general manager, say donors should not fret about their gifts. Walkow says most of the toys left at the South Fourth Street location have been donated to charity while Marino says any remaining toys will be collected at all TLA outlets, then distributed.

— Scott Farmelant