KCTCS toy drive benefits 116 children in Central Kentucky

Santa came early for the 116 children of 63 students enrolled in the Ready-to-Work (RTW) program at Central Kentucky Technical College.

Mothers, fathers, grandparents and friends gathered today at the System Office of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) to pick up a wide variety of toys, clothing, bicycles, DVDs, and other items on the children’s wish list.

Each child received gifts valued at an average of $50. In addition, every family was given a $20 gift certificate toward the purchase of food.

This is the fifth year that KCTCS System Office staff members have donated gifts to William’s Toys, a toy drive created in honor of William Foster Tichenor, son of Debbie and Carey Tichenor of Lawrenceburg.

Debbie Tichenor is the System Office network administrator in information technology (IT). Carey Tichenor is chief naturalist with the state Department of Parks.

In addition to KCTCS staff sponsoring individual children on the list, the IT Division created a 36-hour on-line auction to raise money for the project. The auction of donated items brought in approximately $2,200.

William was 15 months old when he drowned in a boating accident on the Kentucky River. When Debbie returned to work after the accident, co-workers began thinking of ways to honor this special child. And so, William’s Toys was created.

Since Christmas 2000, KCTCS System Office staff members have supported 323 children through William’s Toys.

“Though William does not have a physical presence with us, he continues to give love through William’s Toys,” Debbie Tichenor said.

This morning, about 75 parents and grandparents arrived at the KCTCS Administration Building at 11 o’clock to pick up their toys. KCTCS employees were on hand to wrap the gifts; Moore’s Meat of Versailles donated barbecue for lunch.

Holiday Inn North, Lexington, gave toys and cookies. Lynn’s Imaging donated signage for the event.

One mother kept checking her child’s wish list. “I can’t believe he got all the videos he wanted.”

Another mother was excited to see a specific toy truck among her gifts. “My son carried this truck around in the store and was so disappointed when he had to put it back on the shelf,” she said. “I couldn’t afford to buy it for him.”

The Ready-to-Work (RTW) program serves low-income parents who are returning to school to earn the education they need to find a place in Kentucky’s workforce. The RTW students at Central Kentucky Technical College are from Anderson, Fayette and Mercer counties, as well as surrounding counties in Central Kentucky.