Dec. 20, 2008

Kenosha News, BY JOHN KREROWICZ, Photo by Kevin Poirier | 12/16/08

The first Christmas toy and food collection at Xten Industries began with an employee’s request for a day off.

Customer care manager Bethany Raven asked for the time because she and her husband participate in an annual bicycle ride in Illinois to shuttle toys for the Marine Corp’s Toys for Tots program. This year’s ride, about 20 miles from a Niles bike shop to the WGN-TV station, was scheduled for Dec. 19.

Raven, accounting assistant Kathy Thompson and marketing manager Kendra Buchanan discussed the toy trip and thought workers at Xten, 9600 55th St., should be given the chance to contribute playthings for the toy drive and food for the Shalom Center.

“Xten has been in Kenosha for a couple of years, and we wanted to give something back to the community, to let people know we’re here and we want to help out,” Buchanan said.

In the end, employees donated some 200 toys and 1,280 food items. The food was delivered on Monday. But the toy ride was canceled because of a raging snowstorm. The toys were delivered — by vehicle — on Monday.

Buchanan said there was a contest among the 85 employees working in three shifts to donate the most. She said total donations were so close among them that everyone will share in the prize — a pizza party in January.

The company manufactures, stores, packages and ships various plastic products.

Raven said 68 bicyclists had registered to transport more than 1,100 toys from the bike store, Amlings Cycle Shop, to the television station for this year’s toy ride. The cyclists usually load the toys into trailers that more often haul youngsters behind parents’ bikes.

Raven said she became involved in the toy trip because she knows the people who own the bike shop. Typically, about 18 bikers sign up. Last year, the cyclists paraded with some 1,600 toys.

 “I thought it was touching that everyone at Xten donated, for everyone to be so giving and caring and getting into the spirit to give to the kids and the community,” she said. “It’s for a great cause.”