Stevens community donates toys to Hoboken children in need
Earlier this month, the Stevens Institute of Technology Police asked the Stevens community to donate toys for a special toy drive for Hoboken kids in need this holiday. And the response was overwhelming - far exceeding the original goal of 200 toys. As of this week, police estimated they had collected more than 300, and the pile was still growing.
Besides the many individuals who donated, Stevens' fraternities and sororities made significant contributions. Sigma Phi Epsilon and Theta Xi in particular made large donations of toys. The National Football League and Random House publishers also donated to the drive.
Just before Christmas, the toys will be delivered to children, ages 5 to 15, who will be special guests at a holiday party at St. Mary's Community Mental Health Center in Hoboken.
The toys will be given out by "Santa," who will be portrayed by a Stevens student, Robert Estrada. Robert's own mother, Nancy Estrada, passed away in late November. Earlier this month, Robert asked the Stevens Police if he could play Santa to honor his mother's memory. He had frequently donned his Santa suit to deliver toys in his neighborhood and at church functions with the help of his mother, he said.
Stevens Police volunteered to wrap all of the unwrapped toys donated during the toy drive. "We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to donate," explained Lt. Michael A. Ciriello of the Stevens Police, who led this year's effort. Stevens Police also will help cook dinner and distribute toys at the holiday party, Ciriello said.
Santa will deliver the toys during a special party at approximately 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at St. Mary's Community Mental Health Center, 506 3rd Street in Hoboken (between Jefferson and Madison Streets). For more information, contact Lt. Michael Ciriello of the Stevens Police at (201) 216-5325 or e-mail him at rotniccio@aol.com.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Founded in 1870 and celebrating 140 Years of Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University TM , lives at the intersection of industry, academics and research. The University's students, faculty and partners leverage their collective real-world experience and culture of innovation, research and entrepreneurship to confront global challenges in engineering, science, systems and technology management.
Based in Hoboken, N.J. and with a location in Washington, D.C., Stevens offers baccalaureate, master’s, certificates and doctoral degrees in engineering, the sciences and management, in addition to baccalaureate degrees in business and liberal arts. Stevens has been recognized by both the US Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Excellence in the areas of systems engineering and port security research. The University has a total enrollment of more than 2,200 undergraduate and 3,700 graduate students with almost 450 faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as strategic partnerships with industry leaders, governments and other universities around the world. Additional information may be obtained at www.stevens.edu and www.stevens.edu/press.
