Bulldogs Hockey fundraiser nets 'Toys for Tots'

The Bellmore-Merrick Bulldogs, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District’s hockey team, was not playing for conference standings or athletic trophies on the evening of Dec. 2 at Newbridge Arena in Bellmore. The squad was playing to bring the holiday season home to underprivileged children.

The Bulldogs and Newbridge Arena hosted a toy drive this fall for Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve program that every December provides toys to needy children whose parents or guardians cannot afford to buy them gifts. The drive culminated in the exhibition Bulldogs hockey game at Newbridge Arena, which pitted two squads of Bulldogs from Merrick Avenue Middle School and Grand Avenue middle schools against each other. Parents were asked to donate new toys in drop boxes at the arena, and the team sold merchandise to raise funds. A Marine Corps Reserve color guard was on hand for the national anthem before the game.

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