Bedford Park: Creston Avenue Pharmacy Holds 2nd Annual Toy Giveaway

By DAVID GREENE

AT THE SECOND Annual Creston Pharmacy gift giveaway are (l-r) employees, Aileen, Paola, Ethan and Savita, owner, Zaheer, employee, Joel, and customer, Julio, as they prepare to distribute 350 toys to children from the local community on Saturday, December 21, 2024.
Photo courtesy of Creston Pharmacy

For the second year in a row, Creston Avenue Pharmacy, located at 29 East 198th Street in Bedford Park, held a Holiday Toy Giveaway, providing toys and gifts to 350 local children.

Now celebrating their third year in business at the corner of East 198th Street and Creston Avenue, pharmacy co-owners, Jade and Zaheer, held their 2nd Annual Toy Giveaway on Saturday, Dec. 21, distributing 350 gift-wrapped toys to the first 350 children under the age of 12 who arrived with a parent or guardian.

According to Zaheer, Creston Pharmacy purchased all the gifts at a local Walmart and Target, and the employees at the two stores donated their time to individually wrap them.

DESPITE A DUSTING of snow, 350 children accompanied by their parents stand outside Creston Pharmacy at 29 East 198th Street in Bedford Park and receive free gifts as part of an annual toy giveaway organized by the pharmacy for the second year in a row on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
Photo courtesy of Creston Pharmacy

Despite a dusting of snow a day before the giveaway, and temperatures hovering around 32 degrees, Zaheer said the line for the giveaway stretched as far as the next block.

After the event, Zaheer said, “I’m happy to share that the giveaway was a success. We were able to give away 350 toys.” He added, “It was a surprise to us to see so many people waiting in the cold weather to receive their gift so we tried to move the line as quickly as possible.”

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