A Chatham restaurant is hosting a toy drive this week to make sure every boy and girl has a smile on their face this Christmas.
Brian Machado, who is the owner and executive chef for Chatham Breakfast House, is hosting a toy drive for Chatham Goodfellows on Friday.
The Blackburn Radio IPM truck will arrive at restaurant around 7:45am and park there all day for Chatham-Kent residents to drop off their toy donations.
"Whatever they can afford to give, that's wonderful. It could be a small toy, large toy, a number of toys--anything--just to be able to give a child one of those gifts at Christmas and see their face is an unbelievable experience. We've done it before and that's why we're doing it again," says Machado.
Machado says he is a father of four boys and says his favourite part of Christmas is seeing their faces when they open their gifts. He says it is amazing to be able to help a child that is not fortunate enough to have something of their own.
Machado adds that he wants to give back to the Chatham-Kent community, because it has supported the restaurant for 11 years.
"We're one community and we help each other...we never let anybody suffer and we always give a helping hand. That's the most important thing, that's what I learned growing up, and that's what I'm instituting into my children as they get older," says Machado.
Machado says he wants to continue doing the toy drive every year if possible.