Businesses Give Back: A tradition to provide for children for the holidays

The season of giving has already begun as many events hope to drum up support for their respective missions. Numerous groups, organizations and individuals are seeking donations of goods and services to help those in need. Toy drives are no different, particularly knowing there are children who won’t be receiving any gifts during the holidays.

One local businessman has taken an annual fundraising event and expanded its reach during its short tenure. Bob Salvas of Momentum Networking recently hosted the “Businesses Give Back” event at The Guild Brewery in Pawtucket to collect as many toys for area families as possible. His goal this year of getting 1,000 toys was lofty, but he believed it was attainable. His 2023 drive brought in 750 toys from individuals and companies. At night’s end, Salvas and friends collected nearly 1,050 toys for local families in need. Gifts were then picked up by the U.S. Marines as part of its annual Toys for Tots campaign.

Salvas said the event keeps growing as more people come out to help others. “This event keeps getting bigger and better for two reasons. First, the level of support from area small businesses that have stepped up and contributed their time and resources to make this successful. Second, the community has come out and supported this drive for years. It’s truly a group effort that enables us to put smiles on children’s faces this Christmas and maybe a sigh of relief for their parents. I am honored to have so many people here to celebrate a great cause,” Salvas said.

CSC Paymaster served as the event’s primary sponsor, along with many other sponsors, seeing the event as an opportunity to give back to the community. They have been involved with other endeavors ranging from “Adopt-a-Family” programs to supporting local charity events. Steven Truesdale, President & CEO of CSC Paymaster, said after six decades of being supported by this community, they chose to step up themselves by sponsoring one of Rhode Island’s largest Toys for Tots drives.

“This is our first time partnering with Bob Salvas and Toys for Tots, and it’s a powerful way for us to say, ‘thank you’ to a community that has made it possible for us to thrive as a local business,” Truesdale said. “Each donation is more than a gift to less fortunate children — it’s a heartfelt way of giving back to the community that has been the foundation of our company for so many years. This initiative builds on the giving efforts we’ve undertaken in the past and represents a deepened commitment to those around us. We hope that by taking on this role, we’ll inspire others to join in making a difference.”

The Warwick-based payroll company believes it is their responsibility to help others when the opportunity exists. They are hopeful this partnership will continue growing. “For us, giving back is a way of honoring the local support we’ve received—it’s important to be a part of something bigger and make this season brighter for those around us. Every toy collected is a child smiling.” Truesdale said.

Festivities included a delicious buffet provided by Bugg’d Out BBQ, music provided by The StrumDawgs (with a surprise guest appearance from Betty Galligan), craft brews, networking and collecting donations for the U.S. Marines.

Salvas estimated that several hundred people attended the event. He set up registration early so they could have a count. What he believes happened—not that it was an issue—was people coming to The Guild as a last-minute plan. For anyone who did not bring at least one new, unused toy, Salvas said they accepted cash donations at the door.

A village of businesses

As Salvas mentioned, it took an army of companies to make this event possible. He cited the following businesses for their contributions: Residential Construction Workforce Partnership, Graphix Plus, PuroClean, Englund Studio, Unconventional Productions, W. Parmentier Photography, Triforce Advisors, Josh Vanada Coaching, Berg’s Eye Communications, Builder’s Insurance Group, and Trust Networking.

Bob explained why he got involved with this endeavor and why he keeps pushing it forward. “This event began as an idea by my friend, Dan Edmonds. He had the idea for people who came to his Networking event around this time of year to bring a gift instead of cash. It started to grow before Dan sadly passed away in 2020. When the world was able to meet again after the pandemic, I initially did this as a one-time thing. However, people wanted to see this happen every year. So, in wanting to keep Dan’s memory alive and help others, I continue doing this event to achieve both goals,” he said. And, he’s already planning for next year’s event – coming in November 2025!

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