Community Corner

From Tips to Toys at Tony Lena's Sub Shop

Store employees donated their tips from Friday through Sunday raising more than $400 for the Toys for Local Children program.

 

Tony Lena's sub shop employees Heather Ernst and Cheryl Chesbrough packed Heather's car full of dolls, fire engines and other toys.

They shuttled the gifts to the Swampscott Police Station and loaded them into the U-Haul van that the department is filling for the Toys for Local Children program.

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Four hundred dollars will buy a lot of toys when you shop carefully, and that is what Heather and Cheryl did at Target and other stores.

The $400 worth of presents came from tip money at Tony Lena's.

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The sub shop employees donated all their tips from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

These were tips from sales in the store and on deliveries.

Shop co-owners Tammy Lena Chambers and Jennifer Lena Venuti were some surprised by the level of generosity they witnessed.

For a last minute effort — they decided about a week ago to do it — it was wildly successful, said Tammy.

"I'm just so excited that it was so successful," she said on Wednesday.

Tammy, wearing snowflake earrings and waiting on customers, said the program was so successful they are going to do it next year, as well.

The Swampscott Police Association is accepting toys for the Toys For Local Children program at the Swampscott Police Department.  

The officers were happy to see the gifts arrive from Tony Lena's because the donations have been somewhat limited this year.

The department will also be accepting toys along the Holiday Parade route this Saturday, December 15. The parade begins at 6 p.m. at Swampscott High. 


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