Toys to comfort tsunami’s tiniest victims Stuffed animals collected in Calais

CALAIS – Pastor Dianne Graham believes in the goodness of people, and that faith was confirmed yet again when people from across Maine sent her nearly 1,000 colorful, cuddly stuffed toys.

In a few weeks, the toys will be sent to children a world away, youngsters who lost family members and friends when giant tsunamis flooded portions of their country.

The tsunamis slammed into 11 countries on Dec. 26, leaving more than 200,000 people dead and millions more, including children, homeless.

People sitting in their homes the day after Christmas were stunned as they watched videos of mammoth waves slamming into beach areas and washing away everything in their path. Graham said she was one of those people and she was struck by the sadness.

Although numerous churches and groups moved quickly to collect money to aid victims, Graham, who is pastor of the First Congregational Church in Calais, thought about the children. That is when she came up with her appeal.

After Graham’s plea for stuffed toys appeared in the Bangor Daily News and the Downeast Times, the response was overwhelming. “We immediately started getting telephone calls,” she said.

Perched in front of the church altar are several laundry baskets filled with toys. “You know there are so many wonderful people in this world,” she said quietly. “You know we are blessed and called to be a blessing to others.”

Graham said she was overwhelmed by people’s generosity. Toys came from Calais to Caribou to Camden. People at the Emmaus Center, a homeless shelter in Ellsworth, sent a box. The Patten Women’s Group sent 90 Beanie Babies. A woman from Ellsworth sent more than 100 stuffed animals on her own. A Robbinston woman sent her entire collection of Beanie Babies, each one brand-new.

But the energetic pastor would like to collect another 1,000 toys so that more children can be helped. “It has been inspirational to know that there are so many people out there who really care and want to do something. I thought a thousand would be really fantastic, so I think anything would be possible, it’d be really great,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be great to have February 14 as a goal to get these down to Connecticut?”

Graham contacted AmeriCares in Connecticut and the organization agreed to get the toys to needy youngsters. She said she hoped a shipping company would step forward and volunteer to take them to Connecticut. Graham said she would love to deliver them personally to the children, but realizes that isn’t possible.

Small new toys can be sent to the First Congregational Church, 21 Calais Ave., Calais 04619, or call 454-7321.