PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County Toys For Tots coordinator Christopher Keegan has been nominated as September's Community Hero of the Month. 

 

The Community Hero of the Month series recognizes individuals and organizations that have significantly impacted their community. The series is in partnership with Haddad Auto and will run for the next two months. 

 

Every morning on Christmas, thousands of kids, from newborns to 14-year-olds, will have presents to open because of the hard work of Keegan and his team. 

 

Keegan is dedicated to the Marine Corps core values of respect, discipline, and camaraderie and hopes to instill them in others. 

 

"From a Marine Corps standpoint, it's about the mission, and the mission is to help everybody who needs it. We will put it out there that there's help available if you need it and we try to make ourselves easy to get a hold of and stuff like that," Keegan said. 

 

"I think the Marine Corps mission is something that's been instilled in us, and we carry it every day. Not outwardly, sometimes you've got to really feel your way sometimes, but you know what your core values are, and I think sometimes we can impress upon that on other people, even in bits and pieces."

 

The need for assistance, especially around the holidays, has increased yearly. When the pandemic hit, prices went up, and with that, so did the number of families in need of assistance, he said. 

 

"I deal with about 25 nonprofit organizations in the county and then a whole group of independent families who will register for assistance through Toys forTots," Keegan said.

 

"One of the biggest impacts with this has been the great number of people behind me who have assisted in making this campaign successful. Our goal is to honor each and every request for assistance. With the generosity of the people who live and work in Berkshire County, and of course, the people who help behind the scenes, we're able to meet that challenge." 

 

On Oct 1, program volunteers will start distributing 250 Toys forTots donation boxes throughout the county. 

 

This is a significant increase from the program's early days when there were only about 39 boxes, said Bob Garrity, junior vice commander of the Marine Corps League.

 

When Garrity ran the program, he did so with his wife and several "old Marines" who have since passed. 

 

By the time Garrity decided to step down from running the Berkshire County chapter, there were 100 boxes, and he and his wife "were burned up" from the extensive work it entailed. 

 

Keegan's leadership within the program since taking over has contributed to its continued expansion, Garrity said. 

 

"He's organized more of it, he's got more people out, he's got a lot of friends, a lot of influence, and he's a good talker and a good salesman," Garrity said. 

 

In 2022, about 3,500 kids in the region received toys, and in 2023, the program assisted more than 5,700 children in Berkshire County. 

 

As an employee of the maintenance department at the House of Corrections, Keegan's leadership has led to the Sheriff's Office becoming involved by loaning storage space for the toys and vehicles for their pickup.

 

The unwrapped toys collected are sorted by gender and age group. The drive sees everything from dolls and toy trucks to Little Tikes basketball hoops. 

 

Shoppers fill any gaps with funds raised through events like the Toys For Tots musical bingo, motorcycle ride, and toy competition. 

 

The Toys for Tots Berkshire County chapter kicked off its fundraising efforts on Sept. 21 with the 11th annual motorcycle ride. 

 

The program's major fundraiser is its annual musical bingo event, which will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Berkshire Hills Country Club. More information here. 

 

In December, the Saturday after the donation boxes are collected, there will be a toy competition hosted by radio personalities Marjo Catalano and Bryan Slater of "Slater & Marjo in the Morning" on Live 95.9 FM.

 

"For two hours, they try to beat each other on who can raise the most toys," Keegan said. 

 

One of the toy competitions will be held at the Hot Dog Ranch, and the other will be at Proprietor's Lodge. 

 

Keegan has run the Berkshire Chapter of the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program for 10 years. 

 

Pittsfield Marine Corps League members requested Keegan he take over the program in 2015 when Garrity stepped down. 

 

The request was made during Keegan's first meeting after becoming a member because they thought his previous long-term involvement with youth programs made him qualified for the role.

 

"[The members] suggested I take [the program] over just based on my background at the Boys and Girls Club and organizing stuff. They thought I'd be a good fit, and I just took it and ran with it," Keegan said. 

 

"And obviously, I've surrounded myself with some outstanding, dedicated people, which makes it easier on me." 

 

Keegan has been involved with the Boys and Girls Club his entire life. He was discharged from the Marines in 1981 and started working for the Boys Club in different capacities while working full-time jobs in other areas.

 

In around 2000, he became program director at the club and is still involved with the basketball team and some community service programs for high school-aged kids. Keegan has also coached high school baseball for 30 years at Taconic High School. 

 

For inquiries about the program, Keegan can be reached at 413-443-7220, Ext. 1150, or email.