Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 08/99) - For the past five years, Harley's Hard Rock Saloon has been giving something back to the community in the form of an annual toy drive for children.

"Any kind of crisis that goes on with any family and there's children, who do you think gets the brunt of it all? Children right," said organizer Freddy Squires.

"If they're in the shelter somewhere, wouldn't you like to get something for the children who've just been dragged out of a home or whatever the case may be."

Squires is leading a drive to get people to donate either money or toys to Harley's Hard Rock Saloon.

The toys will be donated to the women's shelter, the Alison McAteer House, while the money raised will be donated to the Stanton Regional Hospital children's ward.

Squires said toys and donations will be accepted until the end of the week.

"All the motorcyclists around town gather together to collect toys and the cash goes to the hospital's kids' ward."

Squires said people have been dropping off donations at the bar for the past week and on Sept. 4, the day of the drive, there was a donation box set up in front of Harley's.

"Today we're going for a drive around town just to show a presence," Squires said on Saturday.

"Then, by the end of the week we'll gather all the stuff together and bring it to McAteer House and the donations we'll give to the hospital.

"There are lots of families that we'll be able to give these toys to," said Alison McAteer House director Jennifer Rigby.