It was, in the end, a year to celebrate at the Press Herald Toy Fund.

The charity’s 76th annual toy drive began with a surge in requests for help, often accompanied by heart-wrenching letters that described parents struggling to afford basic needs and children going through dark times.

But it ended with a heartwarming surge of support from donors and an extra effort by volunteers that brought light and joy to more than 4,400 Maine children.

“Once again, Mainers have come through to help each other,” Toy Fund President Karen Beaudoin said. “The generosity of our readers and donors is inspiring, and we can’t thank them enough for always stepping up for the kids.”

One special donation arrived in recent days like a much-anticipated gift from an old friend, a reminder that Toy Fund supporters have never let the children down since its first fundraising drive in 1949.

It was the 76th consecutive annual donation from the Drummond family, listed below as  JOCIJIANNA.

The family began the annual tradition when Josiah H. Drummond and Anne (Strahan) Drummond were a young married couple in Portland and made a donation to a brand-new charity that set out to buy Christmas gifts for local children in need.

As the charity grew, and as their family grew, the couple kept giving each year and eventually handed down the annual tradition to their children.

And ever since, the Drummond siblings have bundled their donations under the pseudonym JOCIJIANNA, an acronym that includes the first two letters of each of their first names.

Their donation arrived with a wave of gifts and goodwill at the end of the year.

“Just when I thought I’d be collecting the last check or two for the season, I went to the Toy Fund mailbox and found a stack of donations,” Operations Manager Jeff Ham said. “It was an impressive response to the growing need.”

The Toy Fund uses the donations of newspaper readers to buy toys and books for kids up to 16 years old in York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Androscoggin and Knox counties. Organizers are already making plans for its 77th season.

Donations are accepted year-round and are published in the Portland Press Herald and Lewiston Sun Journal from Thanksgiving through the holiday season.

HOW TO HELP:

To make a donation online, go to pressherald.com/toy-fund.

Checks made out to the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund may be mailed to 295 Gannett Drive, South Portland, ME 04106.

Names of donors are published in the Press Herald and Lewiston Sun Journal unless a donor wishes to remain anonymous.

TODAY’S DONATIONS:

• $761.00: Proceeds from auction of donated Barbie dolls
• $100.00: Mary Robinson, Orrs Island
• $21.36: Anonymous
• $105.52: Barb Wood
• $105.52: Merry Christmas! — Anonymous
• $52.92: In memory of Mary & Tom, aka Mom & Dad. A grateful daughter — Deborah Vose
• $52.92: Anonymous
• $52.92: Hoping no kid is without a gift — John Hunnewell
• $105.52: Christmas is for the children. — Anonymous
• $105.52: Maine Black Bear — Peter Madigan
• $105.52: The Dargis Family — Kristen Dargis
• $52.92: Happy Holidays! — John and Diane Devlin
• $350.00: With love — Scott & Tory Caputo
• $315.94: Wishing a very merry Christmas to all the kids. — Anonymous
• $250.00: Merry Christmas! — Anonymous
• $21.36: Anonymous
• $52.92: Anonymous
• $52.92: Thanks to all the donors and volunteers for their efforts to brighten thousands of Maine families’ Christmases. In memory of Don McCann, John and Mitzi Schroeder, Alex Waters Gordon and Ali Zorn. — Alex McCann
• $210.73: Douglass Family — William Douglass
• $31.88: Anonymous
• $210.73: George O. Jones Jr.
• $105.52: Williams Family — Nikki Williams
• $105.52: Happy Holidays. — Anonymous
• $26.62: Please pray softly to heaven for little “Lucy” who is in hospital. You might have read here in the paper about her battle with RTS, a syndrome only 500 others in our world have. Pray for suffering families who have recently lost their small children. We all hurt, they hurt even more. Pray! Our Creator either hears or else good angels report it as they come and go while doing their designed works. The mind earns by doing, the heart earns by merely trying. Merry Christmas 2025. — Anonymous
• $105.52: Linda Daigle
• $105.52: In the spirit of sharing that our parents taught us so well. Peace to you all. — Chris and Chris Newell
• $52.92: Anonymous
• $52.92: Strength, resolve, and belief to all this holiday season! — Anonymous
• $105.52: Happy Holidays to all — Anonymous
• $52.92: In honor of our neighbors, the Zurlo Family. Leslie, Paul and Lillian — Leslie Lawrence
• $105.52: Anonymous
• $105.52: In memory of our pets, Melda, Abby, Max, Luke, Jake and Athena. The Millers in Harpswell — Deborah Miller
• $100.00: Merry Christmas in memory of Edward Kelleher and Sister Edward Mary Kelleher. Nancy Kelleher — Albert Boothby
• $500.00: Anonymous
• $1,000.00: Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year! — Doug and Victoria Timm
• $50.00: Patricia Buttner
• $100.00: Peter Brown
• $250.00: Anonymous
• $1,000.00: Thomas and Holly McKenny
• $100.00: In loving memory of Wendy — Alison and Craig Smith
• $100.00: In memory of our parents, Anna and Domenico Floridino and Philis and Anthony Peverada Sr. — Anthony and Angelina Peverada
• $100.00: Happy holidays to all — Charlene and Andy Libby
• $1,500.00: Jean Scanlan
• $100.00: Donna and Harry Rand
• $25.00: Blair and Bonnie Warner
• $50.00: Rory Weidemann
• $100.00: Merry Christmas! — Judy White
• $100.00: In memory of Alphonse and Margelia Bernard — Mary Joan and Donald Estabrook
• $50.00: Robert and Louise Coale
• $500.00: Donors for 76 years! — JOCIJIANNA
• $50.00: Merry Christmas to those less fortunate – Finnegan, Abbie, Declan and Julia — James and Mary Regan
• $50.00: In memory of Dave — Joanne Nelson
• $200.00: Tom and Diana Allen
• $1,000.00: Anonymous
• $200.00: In memory of Susan and Angela — Kenneth and Pauline Curtis
• $100.00: Anonymous
• $100.00: David and Darrell Marley
• $50.00: In memory of Joe and Judy Bromley — Carl and Rachel Akin
• $100.00: In honor of our sweet Sophia Margaux and our grandchildren – Noanie and Papa — Roger and Joan Gildart
• $50.00: To the volunteers, thank you for your kindness and dedication. For all the children, may you be blessed. — Jeff and Sandra Greenleaf
• $250.00: In loving memory of Joyce Gervais — Anonymous
• $50.00: In memory of Deborah Paine, who loved Christmas — The Koster Family
• $40.00: For a child — Rodney and Lucinda Sargent
• $30.00: In loving memory of John, Alice and Helen Flaherty — Alicia Flaherty
• $565.00: Chebeague Island Fire Rescue Association
• $50.00: Mary Ann McDonald
• $30.00: Patience Buckley
• $300.00: Anonymous
• $25.00: Merry Christmas in memory of Tommie C., Mom & Dad C. and Mom & Dad O. — The Ouillette Family
• $100.00: Lawrence and Karan Miller
• $25.00: In loving memory of my parents, Cliff and Gerry Ashley, from daughter Joan — Joan Ashley
• $100.00: In memory of Cambridge — D.A. Steman and J.R. Phillips
• $100.00: William Schaffner and Ann Gayer
• $100.00: In memory of my Dad, Donald Hawkes Sr. — Donald Hawkes Jr.
• $210.73: In loving memory of my brother Thomas “Woody” … Jerri — Jerri MacLean
• $200.00: In honor of my son Evan — Kristen Damuth
• $25.00: In memory of my granddaughter — Marcia Clayton
• $300.00: In memory of our Danny — The Grays
• $50.00: Nancy Maki and Leslie Grant
• $25.00: James and Kimberly Kingsley
• $100.00: Dan and Diane Colacino
• $222.00: $111 in memory of Sam Tucker, “El Presidenty,” and $111 in memory of Carol Wanbaugh — Randy and Jennifer Wood
• $250.00: Portland Longshoremen’s Benevolent Society
• $300.00: In memory of our brothers Jack and Alan Corcoran and Dennis Hayes — The Corcoran/Hayes Family
• $100.00: For all the children to wake up to the magic of the season — Nancy and Rick Spencer
• $200.00: Treekeepers LLC-Johnson’s Arboriculture
• $200.00: In loving memory of RB, in honor of my grandchildren, LMJRA — Anonymous
• $100.00: Snowy Owl Family Fund
• $500.00: Riley Family Fund
• $200.00: Barbara T. Marr Charitable Gift Fund
• $150.00: In loving memory of my father, David A. Wheatland. From Becky — RW Giving Fund
• $300.00: Anonymous
• $100.00: Anonymous
• $300.00: Anonymous
• $750.00: Lexi Fund
• $150.00: From Sea to Shining Sea Giving Fund
• $105.52: Philip Pedro
• $210.73: In memory of Barry M. Campbell 1947-1995 — Anonymous
• $105.52: #3 of the 12 C’s — Anonymous
• $105.52: Anonymous
• $105.52: Anonymous
• $26.62: In memory of the Graham Family. The Graham Family — Patricia Graham
• $263.34: Donald E. Starr & Serena Wakelin
• $105.52: In honor of our grandchildren, Lucy, Mia & Owen. Love & Hugs from PopPop & Nannie — Lisa Randall
• $421.15: In loving memory of Ann and Paul Chandler and George and Florence Stewart, The Paul Stewart Family — Melanie Stewart
• $263.34: Anonymous
• $21.36: Anonymous
• $105.52: In memory of Alice and Helen Robinson — Anonymous
• $200.00: In honor of the Soley Family matching Todd Dominski and Charlie Ammon. In honor of the Tim Soley and Maria Gallace Family — Stephen Nahley
• $105.52: In memory of Bill Crowell Jr. — Nancy Crowell
• $526.35: Holiday Blessings! — Anonymous
• $105.52: Anonymous
• $131.83: Alice Moisen
• $26.62: This is a matching gift by Lebel & Harriman LLP for employee Bernadette Pesce’s 12/13/2025 donation to the Press Herald Toy Fund — Bernadette Pesce
• $210.73: Anonymous
• $50.00: Anonymous
• $5.00: In memory of Billie. Merry New Year! — Anonymous

Total for 2025: $218,954.42.