Photo provided Members of the Moundsville Professional Firefighters Local 543 recently donated $300 to WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital as part of its year-round philanthropic efforts. From left are Even Mobley, Brittany DaGrava, Erin Blake of WVU Medicine, Kevin Kimple, Steven Bailey and Gary Brandon. The Local is slated to hold a Teddy Bear Drive from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Moundsville Walmart.

MOUNDSVILLE — The Moundsville Professional Firefighters Local 543 is slated to hold its annual Teddy Bear Drive and a new Stuff the Truck event this Saturday at the Moundsville Walmart.

People can make their donations of bears and toys between noon and 3 p.m. at the fire engines parked in front of the store.

Kevin Kimple, president of the local and assistant fire chief for the Moundsville City Fire Department, said the teddy bears can be new or gently used.

Bears collected during the event go to Santa Marty and Friends to be passed out to children in the community. Toys will be used by the Salvation Army for its Caring Tree efforts.

“We work with Santa Marty and friends, who dresses up as Santa and goes to different child care centers and hospitals,” he said.

“Santa asked for our help in raising some extra teddy bears that he can take to the local children, which our members jumped at the chance to help.”

Kimple said the Salvation Army’s Caring Tree reached out and asked for help in gathering presents for children in Marshall County.

“So, our plan this year, with the help of Walmart and our citizens, is to Stuff the Truck with teddy bears and presents,” he said.

“The teddy bears will go to Santa Marty and friends, to be given out at child shelters, local hospitals and the other places Santa stops early.

“The toys will go to the Caring Tree, here in Moundsville. To be given out to the children of Marshall County.”

Those who cannot make it to Walmart on Saturday can mail donations checks for the local’s programming. Make checks out to “Moundsville Fire Local 543/Keep Kids Safe and mail the check to Moundsville Fire Department, in care of L543, 800 Sixth Street, Moundsville, WV 26041.

Local 543 organizes and holds fundraisers year-round as part of its community outreach efforts. Most recently it donated $300 to WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital for its children’s cancer center.

Just last week it held its first Halloween Trunk or Treat at the Riverfront Park. Attendees were asked to bring one baby item to give to the Wellspring Pregnancy Center of Moundsville. The event was part of the union’s Keep Kids Safe program.

Kimple said the firefighter’s local began its Keep Kids Safe program in 2018 by providing children with equipment such as bike helmets and swimmies. The first Teddy Bear Drive was held two years ago with 50 bears collected for the hospital.

“After that we partnered up with Gara’s Dream who was donating plastic teddy bear covers to cover the IV fluid when children are receiving infusions at WVU Children’s Hospital,” he said.

“We donated Buzzy Bee arm wraps, which vibrate and have a small ice pack in them, to help numb the pain of the Nurses starting the IVs for the child’s infusions.”

The local also works with the Marshall County special needs program at McNinch Primary School to raise money each spring to help teachers buy supplies and equipment they need, Kimple added.