This year, Santa Claus is getting a little help from his friends in the Hudson Valley.

The Mount Saint Mary College community and generous friends of the college teamed up to make this holiday season brighter for families in need, to the tune of more than 1,000 toys.

The college’s annual toy drive has been spearheaded by Interim President Fr. Gregoire Fluet for almost a decade. It’s become one of his most cherished traditions at the Mount.

“It’s indicative of the incredible generosity of the Mount Saint Mary College family,” said Fr. Fluet. “It’s almost overwhelming how much the college community and our friends pitched in to help. That’s one of the things that’s always been a hallmark of the Mount – our dedication to service and willingness to work.”

After students and staff loaded them up, the toys collected at the college were donated in person and to Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties.

The toy drive received support from the Mount’s athletic teams, the Student Government Association, Bishop Dunn Memorial School and more.

The program was sponsored by Campus Ministry with aid from the entire campus.