Santa and his elves have stiff competition in southeast Pennsylvania's Delaware County, where the big hearts of Chester Local 654 members and the success of their community outreach led to an epic Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive Nov. 2. "The event was scheduled to start at 11 a.m., and by 9:30 our parking lot was full," Business Manager Paul Mullen said of the eager IBEW members and their families, who arrived with gifts and boundless energy to set up and volunteer. Many stayed for hours as fellow union members, vendors, contractors, community leaders and a parade of generous area residents dropped off unwrapped toys, games, sports equipment, bicycles and more — enough to fill a large box truck two and half times.

"It blows my mind how much people donated — one car after another coming and unloading," said journeyman wireman Fred Ries, a Marine Corps veteran who began organizing the toy drive on his own around 2017. A few years later, Local 654 embraced the project with gusto after Mullen asked Ries to lead the local's Veterans' Committee. The 2024 turnout was the biggest yet. "We had a very good day, and one of the nicest things was how many apprentices turned out," Mullen said. "It wasn't mandatory — they just came on their own, so many young people wanting to give back." Among them were apprentices and military veterans Hoang Hunyh and Ron Workman, seen at top right with armloads of early donations that began filling the local's boardroom weeks in advance.