State Transit staff across Sydney and Newcastle will collect toys for those children who will spend the festive season in
State Transit staff across Sydney and Newcastle will collect toys for those children who will spend the festive season in major hospitals.
State Transit Chief Executive Peter Rowley says the gift-giving tradition was the inspiration of bus drivers at State Transit who wanted to spread cheer to children spending Christmas in hospital.
Five years ago, State Transit started the appeal by asking bus drivers and staff to buy an extra toy or two to be delivered to children in hospitals.
The program has snowballed. Every imaginable present from boogie boards to Barbie dolls, DVDs and bikes have been donated by generous State Transit staff.
This year, State Transit is hoping to collect more than last year’s 2100 toys for those children in hospital.
The bus loads of toys will be delivered to the kids by Santa drivers in specially decorated Christmas buses.
Bus drivers and staff also spread Christmas cheer through State Transit’s annual Christmas Bus Competition, where buses throughout Sydney are decked out in tinsel and ornaments.
This year State Transit Santa drivers will visit children in wards at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, the Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick, Liverpool Hospital and the John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.