WMBCTV: Essex County Sheriff Toy Drive

Christmas came early for children across Essex County with the help of the Essex County Sheriff Department Toy Drive. The officers saw this a time to celebrate not only Christmas with the children, but also a time to celebrate the retirement of the sheriff that started this all. 

This holiday season is bittersweet for Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura. As he gets ready to transition into retirement, this was his final year officiating the Essex County Toy Drive that has been a community staple for 33 years. He says this is the most special part of his job. 

“I’m feeling great. This is the best time of year for all of us in this department,” Fontoura said. “The children are beautifully happy. We’re happier than they are. I loved every moment of it, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

Fontoura says that he wanted to create a toy drive that was different for the community where the presents are delivered to 47 different stops to meet the children where they are. After over three decades, his mobile toy distribution continues to bring smiles to children receiving their gifts as well as the officers who get to hand those gifts over.

“I am filled with joy right now and I’ll be like this for the remainder of the year. Just the look of the faces on the children. That feeling when you were a kid is the feeling I had just now,” said Undersheriff Amir Jones. “When you wake up on Christmas morning and you got toys, didn’t know where it came from, Santa Claus or whatever. Just a great feeling.”

While the officers say that hosting this distribution has brought them such joy, the kids expressed their gratitude with a performance of “Feliz Navidad.”

“Feliz navidad, feliz navidad,” Fontoura sang. “Are ya kidding me? You can’t get any better than that.”

While Fontoura closes out on his final moments as the department’s sheriff, he says he’s a born and bred Newark guy and he plans to stick around the department. Meanwhile, Amir Jones says he’s excited to take on the new position and that this toy distribution will continue on.

“This man started this,” Jones said. “We’re gonna keep this going as long as I’m the sheriff. Even if I’m not the sheriff, I think this is something that’s so great that I don’t know how you stop doing something like this.”

Fontoura added, “it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing that we do. I’m so proud of our department, they all chip in and it’s a labor of love.”