December is a busy month. People are frantically shopping and getting ready for the holidays. At OHS, students are keeping themselves busy collecting toys for the toy drive.

For about 15 years, OHS has participated in the Toy Drive. The toy drive is usually held after the Feed My People Food Drive and ends around mid December.

“We usually let the food drive pass the we can kick it off,”  said Rick Seim, head of the social studies department.

John Poldan, a former social studies teacher, originally started the toy drive. Poldan headed the toy drive for about 8-10 years before his retirement, passing the responsibility on to Seim. Seim has been the head of the toy drive for the past 7-8 years.

When the toy drive started, the social studies department was the main contributor to the drive. Now, Leadership, STUCO, NHS, and some years the Key Club all contribute to the toy drive.

At the end of the toy drive, all of the toys are collected by a man with a with a white beard. His name is Bob Goetz.

Although Goetz is not Santa, he plays the role well. Goetz is the head of an organization called Kids In Need. The toys that he collects for KIN are distributed among 10-15 different charities. Those who receive the toys range from toddlers to 21 year olds.

So far, we have raised less than last year.

“Hopefully this weekend we’ll have one last push and toys will come in at the last minute,” said Seim.