Sask. family giving back to Ronald McDonald House after months-long stay

A new Christmas tradition for a Saskatchewan family brought in a massive toy donation for Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon.

Earlier this week, a truckload of toys showed up at the home thanks to the Sanford family from Frontier.

“The volunteers and the staff – they’re the most amazing people you’ll ever meet,” said mom Marion Sanford. “They are such a family.”

Sanford and her family spent six months living in the charity house after losing one son in an ATV collision in 2015. The incident also left her five-year-old son badly injured.

The family, whose home community is located around 20 kilometres north of the Saskatchewan-U.S. border, received so much support during their time in Saskatoon – they wanted to give back.

They started collecting toy donations on their own, but the idea soon caught on with friends and businesses.

“We filled one of those bins – it was as big as one of those pumpkin bins – almost twice over,” she said.

While the donation was made just in time for the holidays, the toys aren’t just for Christmas. Children receive one when they arrive at Ronald McDonald House.

Sanford told 650 CKOM her family plans to make this a new Christmas tradition.

“I want to show that through the tragic times, you can take your pain and hurt and turn it into something good,” she said.